FC Barcelona defender Thomas Vermaelen will undergo an operation on Tuesday in an attempt to cure his persistent hamstring injury.

The Belgian international, who signed from Arsenal in the summer, has yet to make his Barcelona debut as the result of a series of muscle injuries and after speaking to the surgeon, Sakira Orava, the club has decided that an operation will provide the definitive solution.

The doctor confirmed he had discussed the issue "with the Barcelona doctors and with Vermaelen and my recommendation is for him to have surgery."

If all goes well then Vermaelen will be sidelined for a further four or five months, meaning he will not be able to make his debut before the start of April at the earliest.

The Belgian international could end up costing Barcelona around 20 million euros, but given that he joined the club with a long history of injuries, many are questioning the wisdom of spending such a quantity of money on a player who was also likely to suffer physical problems. Endite

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)