Barcelona increasingly nervous over Umtiti injury - report

The defender has been carrying an injury since May

FC Barcelona are worried about Samuel Umtiti's injury, because it's unusual for a player his age, according to Diario SPORT.

Umtiti has pain in his left knee cartilage, which eventually could become a real problem. This type of pain is said to be rare for people Umtiti's age, 25. As the condition worsens, part of the cartilage can actually fully come lose. This situation caused Carles Puyol to retire.

Umtiti's injury has kept him out of action for long stretches of the season, and, apparently, he's been carrying it since May.

Some within the medical staff feel like he has made a big mistake not getting surgery either before the FIFA World Cup or before the start of the season.

However, the player has been getting the best treatments available and there is hope that his body will respond positively. Medical studies have shown high success rates for the kinds of treatments he has received in Qatar and will receive now that he's back in Barcelona.

SPORT reckons the player probably was told by the medical staff that he had a good chance to recover if he followed the treatments, which would allow him to avoid surgery.

If these treatments do not heal him, he has agreed to undergo an operation.

Barça are said to be optimistic, but the issue is that they need to get Umtiti not just well enough to be a normal citizen, but to be an elite athlete.

Source: barcablaugranes.com