FC Barcelona have suffered a major setback just when they thought they were starting to chip away at their financial issues. Newly-renewed player Samuel Umtiti picked up a major injury and has undergone surgery.

The club announced on Monday that the defender broke his fifth metatarsal while training with the squad and has been scheduled to undergo surgery. A bone fracture that requires surgery will likely require a long recovery period, although Barcelona have not given a timeline as of now.

Regardless of his prognosis, Umtiti will be in the recovery room for a while. With his contract having just recently been extended until 2026, it is unfortunate that he won't be available to be selected by Xavi Hernandez. Not only that, the club won't be able to send him off on a loan deal, which was part of the plan if no suitable buyers were found.

Umtiti made the sacrifice of extending his contract in order to help the club register Ferran Torres, and they are grateful for that. Basically, the player's salary was reduced, with the amount that he was entitled to earn for the remainder of his previous contract now spread out to be paid until 2026. It was a good move to help make room in the salary cap while the club figures out the rest of their moves in the transfer market.

However, Joan Laporta did not expect they would end up paying Umtiti's salary, albeit reduced, while he is not able to play. Not only that, the club won't be able to find interested suitors in the market because of the fact that the player will likely be out for at least three months.

The centre-back has been dealing with a string of fitness issues for a while now, which has led to a lack of confidence from managers and his limited playing time. He has made only one La Liga appearance so far this season, with the latest setback making it clear that the campaign is practically over for him.

Samuel Umtiti
Samuel Umtiti Getty
Barcelona FC