Injury sidelines Barca´s Pedro for Spain matches

Barcelona winger Pedro Rodriguez will miss Spain’s Euro 2012 qualifying matches against Lithuania and Scotland after injuring his calf, his club reported on Monday.

Pedro, a key member of the Spanish team that won the World Cup in July, picked up an injury to his left calf in the final 15 minutes of his side’s 1-1 home draw with Real Mallorca on Sunday.

The 23-year-old will be unavailable to play for three weeks after medical exams on Monday confirmed an initial diagnosis made on Sunday evening that he had torn a calf muscle, the Catalan club said on their website.

Spain host Lithuania on October 8 in Salamanca and then play Scotland on October 12 in Glasgow in the Group I qualifiers for Euro 2012.

Barcelona playmaker Xavi, another important member of the World Cup-winning side this summer, is already out of both matches as he struggles with tendinitis.

Spain are third in Group I with three points, one behind Scotland and Lithuania but with an extra match to play.