Barcelona confirms ankle ligament injury for Busquets

Barcelona could be without the services of integral midfielder Sergio Busquets for the foreseeable future.

The Spaniard, long the unheralded star of the side, left Wednesday's Copa del Rey semifinal second leg against Villarreal after being stretchered off the pitch with an ankle injury.

He was replaced by Jeremy Mathieu in the 42nd minute of the contest, with the score level at one apiece (4-2 Barcelona on aggregate).

Following the match, the club confirmed that Busquets suffered an ankle ligament injury, and will undergo further tests on Thursday to determine the severity of the ailment.