FC Barcelona’s Rafinha Alcántara has pulled a hamstring muscle and will have to sit out this Thursday’s Copa del Rey first leg away to Real Sociedad.

The club doctors will need to monitor the Brazilian’s progress before determining his availability for other matches.

The injury is to the attacking midfielder’s right biceps femoris muscle.

Rafinha has played 18 games this season and scored six goals. He was on for the 90 minutes of the 5-0 defeat of Las Palmas at the weekend, providing the assist for Luis Suárez’s second goal and also starting the move that led to Leo Messi scoring.