Samuel Umtiti to Return to Barcelona on December 30 for Treatment on Knee Injury

Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti will return to the club on December 30 to continue his treatment on a knee injury.

Barca provided a medical update on Sunday after the club's medical staff evaluated his recovery, and they have decided he will "continue undergoing conservative treatment" on his left knee.

Umtiti has spent several weeks undergoing rehabilitation in Doha, Qatar, in accordance with the recovery plan set out by the Catalan giants on December 2.

Following Sunday's examination, it seems they remain content not to pursue a surgical option.

Squawka's Muhammad Butt questioned their decision not to put him under the knife to resolve the issue back when they announced their "conservative" plan for him:

The Frenchman has made just eight appearances for Barcelona in all competitions this season, with a run-out against Atletico Madrid on November 24 his only outing since September.

His absence has been significant. Umtiti has established himself as Barcelona's most reliable centre-back since his 2016 arrival at the Camp Nou, and without him in their ranks this season they've not been particularly convincing at the back.

Barca have allowed 19 goals in 17 La Liga matches this season, and they conceded 10 of them in Umtiti's first six matches on the sidelines.

There's no indication as to when he might be able to feature again, so it's unclear if he'll be able to take part in any of their six fixtures in January.

Loan signing Jeison Murillo will have to make do until he can return.