Toe injury forces Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets out for three weeks

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BARCELONA: Barcelona could be without vital midfielder Sergio Busquets for their Champions League quarter-final first leg after the club said the Spain international would miss three weeks having injured his toe against Chelsea on Wednesday.

"Tests have confirmed that Sergio Busquets has a hairline fracture on the fifth toe of his right foot. He will be out for approximately three weeks," said a club statement on Thursday.

Busquets was taken off for Andre Gomes in the 61st minute of Barca`s last-16 second leg against Chelsea, which the Catalans won 3-0 to go through to the quarter-finals of Europe`s elite club competition for an 11th consecutive year.

He will miss Barca`s Liga games at home to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday and away to Sevilla on March 31, as well as Spain`s international friendlies against Germany and Argentina. Busquets, 29, has played in all of Barca`s Champions League games this season and only missed three of their league games.

Barca will learn their Champions League quarter-final opponents when the draw takes place on Friday. The first leg games are on April 3 and 4, with the return games on April 10 and 11.