David Villa faces five months out

Barcelona have confirmed David Villa is set to be sidelined for between "four and five months" after the Spain striker broke his shinbone in Thursday's 4-0 Club World Cup semi-final victory over Al-Sadd, The Guardian reported.

The 30-year-old was carried off on a stretcher six minutes before half-time and Barça announced soon after that he had suffered a "fracture to the tibia in his left leg". The player was taken to hospital in Yokohama for further tests.

An updated statement on the Barça website read: "In the coming hours, Villa will return to Barcelona, via Frankfurt, to be operated on. The approximate time he will be sidelined is between four and five months."