Barcelona announced that its top scorer, Uruguayan Luis Suarez, will undergo surgery on the external trauma of the right knee, in a move that press reports suggested would remove him until late February.
"The first team player Luis Suarez will undergo surgery on Sunday under the supervision of doctor Ramon Kogat, due to an injury to the outer cartilage of the right knee," the Catalan club said in a statement on Saturday. "We will publish a new medical statement once the operation is over."
Barcelona did not specify the absence of the 32-year-old international striker, but Spanish media have indicated that he will not return to action before the Champions League first-leg first-round match against Italian Napoli on February 25.
And Suarez had undergone surgery in the right cartilage last May, the same injury that prevented him from running in the Spanish Cup final against Valencia at the end of last season.
Barcelona announced the surgery after returning from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after leaving the Spanish Super Cup in its new form, after losing Thursday against Atlético Madrid 2-3 in a match during which it was 2-1 until the last ten minutes.
