Barcelona star Lionel Messi is expected to be sidelined at least seven weeks after suffering a left knee injury in Saturday's match against Las Palmas.

According to the Daily Mail, home fans looked in on stunned silence as the man who has bagged at least 40 goals in six straight seasons winced in pain and took himself out of play in the eighth minute after colliding with Las Palmas defender Pedro Bigas.

With fearful rumors initially swirling that the injury could be career-threatening, the 28-year-old Spanish League star was taken to the nearby Clínica Cruz Blanca hospital where doctors diagnosed him with a torn collateral ligament. He was later spotted limping from the hospital to a waiting vehicle.

"Injuries are the worst thing in football and it carries a special weight when it's Messi," said Barcelona manager Luis Enrique. "It's a big challenge for our club. It's great news for our rival but for us it's a test and we have to accept it and overcome it."

For Messi, the mishap comes at a time when it seemed he had finally turned the corner in terms of staying healthy and as productive as many had projected he would. After a series of hamstring injuries hampered him in 2013, he was able to avoid the injury bug last season, with the end result being him bagging a team high 58 goals..

Overall, his exploits accounted for more than a third of the team's goals in the last league and Champions League season. The team's all-time leading scorer also sparked the franchise to a sweep of the Champions League, Spanish league and Copa del Rey titles.

In his absence, Barcelona is hoping the tandem of Neymar and Luis Suarez can help fill the offensive void left behind.