• La Liga

Barcelona suffer Neymar injury scare

Neymar limped off but Lionel Messi was back in amongst the goals against Getafe © Getty Images

Enlarge

Barcelona forward Neymar faces a spell on the sidelines after suffering a suspected sprained tendon in his right ankle during the club's Copa Del Rey tie at Getafe on Thursday.

Barca cruised into the quarter-finals, where they will meet Levante, winning 2-0 on the night, and 6-0 on aggregate.

But their passage into the last-eight has been marred by an injury to Neymar, whose ankle gave way as he tried to pull a ball back across the box from the line in the 28th minute.

Transfer Window LIVE

• For all the latest from the transfer window in the UK and beyond, read ESPN FC's LIVE Transfer Blog

No Getafe defender was close to Neymar, who immediately held up an arm for attention from the physio and was surrounded by team-mates checking on his welfare.

He did not need a stretcher and was eventually helped back to the changing rooms by two members of the Barca backroom staff. He will undergo further tests on Friday to determine the extent of his injury and how many games he will miss.

The news is sure to be a worry for Brazil ahead of this summer's World Cup finals, although will five months still to go until they open the tournament against Croatia in Sao Paulo on June 12 the striker will hope for a positive prognosis.

While Barca seem certain to be without Neymar for a number of weeks, they were boosted by the return to the starting lineup of Lionel Messi - who duly scored both goals in the 44th and 63rd minutes. Messi had made his first appearance after a two-month injury layoff in the first leg - and scored twice in that game too despite only being introduced with 26 minutes left on the clock.

Neymar sprained the peroneal tendon in his right ankle. He will undergo additional tests tomorrow. #FCBLive

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 16, 2014

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd