Barcelona defender Eric Abidal has been diagnosed with a liver tumor and will undergo surgery on Friday.
The Spanish club made the announcement late Tuesday and gave no indication on how long the France international will be sidelined.
Abidal received various messages of support from teammates and opponents alike through Twitter.
''I'd like to show all my affection and support for Eric Abidal from here. I'm confident everything will be all right,'' Barcelona playmaker Andres Iniesta wrote. ''He deserves it, he's a great guy!''
Cesc Fabregas, whose Arsenal side was recently eliminated from the Champions League by Barcelona, wrote it was ''bad news for football'' and sent Abidal ''a lot of support and a lot of strength.''
Real Madrid's Kaka also wrote: ''What sad news about Eric Abidal, tumor in the liver! Let's all pray for him.... God Bless!''
The 31-year-old Abidal joined Barcelona at the beginning of the 2007-2008 season.
He has been a key figure for Barcelona this season, playing 33 games and filling in recently at center back for the injured Carles Puyol.
League leader Barcelona is five points ahead of Madrid in the Spanish standings.
