Barcelona striker Lionel Messi has been ruled out of the upcoming Champions League matches against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich due to a thigh muscle strain injury.

The 32-year-old Argentine was forced off during Barcelona's friendly match against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday with a hamstring issue, but he returned to action for the following day's La Liga game against Atletico Madrid.

However, the injury appears to have progressed to a more serious level, as Messi is now unable to play in the remaining Champions League fixtures this season.

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique confirmed the news on Wednesday, saying that Messi will be sidelined for at least two weeks while the team works to recover his strength and fitness.

"This is a setback for us, but we need to prioritize Messi's health," Enrique said. "We'll take it one step at a time and see how things progress."

Messi's absence from the Champions League could potentially impact Barcelona's chances of winning the competition, as they face tough opponents in both matches. However, the club remains optimistic about their chances of making it to the final, despite the loss of their star player.

In other developments, Barcelona announced on Wednesday that defender Jordi Alba will also be absent for the remaining Champions League matches due to a knee injury.

Alba, who is currently nursing a knee problem, has not played since sustaining an injury during Barcelona's Copa del Rey final win over Sevilla last month. The club hopes to have him back in training soon, but it's unclear when he will return to full fitness.