Barcelona reportedly remain concerned over the state of Samuel Umtiti’s injured knee, as it forced him to sit out the win over PSV in the Champions League this week.
The Frenchman has already missed significant playing time this season due to the problem, as a decision was made for him to receive treatment rather than undergo a procedure.
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While it seemed to work initially as he made his comeback this month, Mundo Deportivo note that he felt discomfort in the same knee this week and that there is still real concern among the Barcelona ranks over the problematic injury.
The 25-year-old has missed three of the five Champions League outings so far this season due to injury, while he missed five consecutive La Liga games due to the same problem before eventually making his return against Atletico Madrid last weekend.
Given how important he is to Barcelona and their pursuit of major honours this season, it’s a major concern for coach Ernesto Valverde as he will be desperate to have the 25-year-old fully fit and available throughout the campaign.
Barcelona have conceded 19 goals in just 13 La Liga games so far this year, giving them the joint-worst defensive record of the top eight sides in the table.
Umtiti’s absence certainly hasn’t helped shore things up at the back, and so it remains to be seen what decision is taken to get him back to full fitness as soon as possible.
At this stage, perhaps surgery could become a possibility again if his condition doesn’t improve, but the Catalan giants will surely avoid taking any risks with him in the coming weeks if they feel as though his knee is still troubling him with summer signing Clement Lenglet ready to deputise alongside Gerard Pique.
