The Brazilian suffered the injury in training on Thursday and scans carried out on Friday confirmed that he would be out of action for around six weeks.

The 28-year-old has been plagued by a succession of injury and fitness problems in the past 12 months with local media reporting that the club want to offload him at the end of the season.

Ronaldinho's agent, his brother Robert de Assis, was photographed with AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani in the Italian media this week, prompting speculation that the Serie A side could be trying to recruit the Brazilian.

The former World Player of the Year has been in the starting line-up in just 13 of Barcelona's 30 league matches and came off the bench in another four, scoring a total of eight goals.

Club president Joan Laporta has denied a rift with Ronaldinho but the news of his injury will only serve to heighten speculation about the player's future at the club.