Samuel Umtiti returns to Barcelona training ahead of Champions League clash

The Frenchman is keen on being ready for his homecoming in Lyon

Samuel Umtiti completed training again, after a long injury layoff, as FC Barcelona prepare to take on Lyon in the UEFA Champions League next week.

The defender has been targeting the match against Lyon as a return date for a while now, as he’s been out of action for quite some time.

The Cameroon-born Umtiti moved to a town near Lyon when he was just two years old. He joined the Olympique Lyonnais academy and came up through the ranks before making his debut in 2012. He signed for FC Barcelona in 2016 after turning heads with his ability playing in Ligue 1. A French citizen, Umtiti has represented France at every level, starting in the U17 team and continuing onto the senior team, where he won the FIFA World Cup in 2018.

A knee injury has kept him out of action for almost the entirety of the season after his World Cup win. Having played in seven of the first eight matches of the season, he missed the next nine before making a return in November of last year. However, after just one match (a 1-1 draw with Atlético Madrid), Umtiti was back on the sidelines and has missed 18 matches since.

Could the defender be in the squad in time for Barça’s meeting with Lyon?

Source: barcablaugranes.com