Injured Messi thanks well-wishers

Lionel Messi has thanked well-wishers for their support after he was struck down for up to eight weeks with a knee injury.

Barcelona superstar Messi limped off early on in his side's 2-1 La Liga win over Las Palmas on Saturday, with the club later confirming that he sustained ligament damage.

And the Argentina captain took to social media on Monday to express his gratitude to fans who have sent him their regards.

"Thank you all for your supportive messages. For anyone who loves football, the hardest thing is not to be on the pitch. Now it's time to recover properly to come back. A big hug," Messi wrote on his official Facebook page.

Messi faces a race against time to be fit for the first Clasico of the season, with Barca travelling to the Santiago Bernabeu to face Real Madrid on November 22.