Samuel Umtiti set to undergo surgery

Samuel Umtiti suffered an injury in his right foot during training

Barcelona and Samuel Umtiti’s hope of finding a team to take him on loan during the winter transfer window has taken a serious hit following the news that the French defender is set to undergo surgery.

The Catalan side released a statement confirming Umtiti suffered an injury during training and that it would require surgery. The statement specified he suffered trauma in his right foot which resulted in a break in his fifth metatarsal which now requires surgery.

https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona_es/status/1483075447650988037

Umtiti had only recently become open to the idea of leaving Barcelona in order to get more playing time. His plan was to come back and demonstrate he still has the level required to play for the Catalan giants.

He was one of the players who seemed most likely to leave before the end of January but now his situation has turned complicated. Barcelona did not specify how long he would be out. According to AS, however, he could be out for as long as three months.

In order to facilitate a move, Umtiti signed an extension with Barcelona until 2026 that included a decrease in his wages. His salary was one of the main reasons there was a lack of interest in the Frenchman.

The last couple of seasons have been nothing short of a nightmare for Umtiti. Nearly four years after the 2016 World Cup, he is still paying the consequences for his decision to play hurt with France.

One can argue his gamble paid off as he was an important part of a France side that won the World Cup. But he returned to Barcelona hurt and his decision to opt for a conservative treatment on his knee backfired and eventually had to opt for surgery.

Fortunately for Umtiti, the injury is not to his knee. But it is a drawback for both him and the club who were intent on loaning him out and the player who had every intention of leaving and getting his career back on track.