They're carrying them out as Barcelona; Club captain Andres Iniesta was the latest to be side-lined

Barcelona manager Luis Enrique woke up Wednesday morning confronted with the twin problems of a lengthening injury list and the first signs of discontent among the more demanding fans at the Nou Camp.

Club captain Andres Iniesta was the latest to be side-lined, following the likes of Lionel Messi and Rafinha, picking up a thigh muscle strain that local media suggested could keep him out for over a month. He will miss Saturday's visit to Sevilla and home games against Rayo Vallecano and Eibar. To make matters worse, some supporters whistled the team as they trailed Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 in Tuesday's Champions League Group E game, although they were soon silenced as the Catalans stormed back to win 2-1 thanks to late goals from Sergi Roberto and Luis Suarez.

"The information regarding Iniesta is sad, firstly for the player himself and also because (the injuries) now seem like a joke," said Barca boss Luis Enrique. "It is a handicap and we will show that we are competitive. I am very hap py with how the team coped with it and I ask for more confidence to be shown in the players."

Enrique also said Barca would remain competitive despite the rash of injuries and hit back at the disgruntled fans, saying the players deserved greater respect.

"We need more support from people when things aren't going our way," Luis Enrique told a news conference. "You can clearly hear the whistles from beside the pitch," added the former Barca and Spain midfielder.

"If we are not running enough fine but the team made a big effort. There are going to be players out there (due to the injuries) who need confidence not whistling."

With Rafinha ruled out for at least six months with a cruciate ligament injury, Enrique now has just seven midfielders and strikers available. The blow is just the latest strain on a squad hampered by injuries and a year-long ban from registering new players which will expire in January.

Barca have appealed to FIFA to have Arda Turan added to their squad citing unusual injury circumstances. Turan and Aleix Vidal were signed during the summer transfer window, but can't be registered to play until January. However, FIFA believes the move would be in contravention of the rules.