Puyol joins Barcelona's walking wounded

FC Barcelona continue to suffer misfortune on the injury front ahead of their UEFA Champions League opener against FC Spartak Moskva, with defender Carles Puyol the latest to be ruled out of the Group G encounter.

Already shorn of Andrés Iniesta for Wednesday's game at the Camp Nou and with doubts surrounding Alexis Sánchez – both of whom have adductor tears – Puyol joined his team-mates in the treatment room after straining the cruciate ligament in his left knee during the 4-1 Liga win at Getafe CF.

After learning that his club captain, who had just returned to action after breaking a cheekbone on 26 August, could be absent for up to six weeks, Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova said: "It always represents a problem losing a player like him because he brings so much to the side."

Vilanova will also be hoping full-back Jordi Alba makes a quick recovery from the flu virus that kept him out of Saturday's victory at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.