Barcelona have confirmed that Andres Iniesta damaged ligaments in his right knee during the Catalan outfit's 3-2 victory over Valencia on Saturday afternoon.

The midfielder was forced off in the early stages of the La Liga contest at the Mestalla after twisting his knee in a challenge with Valencia's Enzo Perez.

A statement from the Spanish champions has revealed that the 33-year-old has "injured the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee" and reports in Spain are suggesting that the central midfielder will be on the sidelines until early 2017.

"The first-team player Andres Iniesta has injured the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. When he arrives in Barcelona the player will have more tests to find out the exact extent of the injury," read the statement.

Barcelona secured all three points away to Valencia, rising to the top of La Liga in the process, courtesy of a stoppage-time penalty from Lionel Messi.