Headache for Valverde as Umtiti returns fully
Ernesto Valverde has a new dilemma at Barcelona with the return of Samuel Umtiti from injury and he must choose two from all of his central defenders to play, which won't be easy given the performances of Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet this season.
Umtiti has missed a long time but is back training and it is not out of the realms of possibility that he could play some time at the Camp Nou on Saturday with Valladolid visiting.
November's meeting with Atletico Madrid in Round 13 of LaLiga Santander was the last time the Frenchman saw any minutes on the pitch and since then he has been plagued by discomfort in his left knee.
He has only played in eight games this season, with seven of those coming in LaLiga Santander and the other one in the Champions League against PSV Eindhoven.
But now things are on the up for Umtiti, which gives Valverde a headache on the Camp Nou bench. He had returned to training last week but on Wednesday he completed the session.
Now Valverde has the entirety of his defensive options to choose from now and gone are the days of him having to chose Jeison Murillo out of necessity.
Murillo, Pique, Lenglet, Thomas Vermaelen and Umtiti are all available for selection. Pique and Lenglet have performed excellently as a pair in the Frenchman's absence, meaning Valverde has a big decision on his hands.
Umtiti has missed a long time but is back training and it is not out of the realms of possibility that he could play some time at the Camp Nou on Saturday with Valladolid visiting.
November's meeting with Atletico Madrid in Round 13 of LaLiga Santander was the last time the Frenchman saw any minutes on the pitch and since then he has been plagued by discomfort in his left knee.
He has only played in eight games this season, with seven of those coming in LaLiga Santander and the other one in the Champions League against PSV Eindhoven.
But now things are on the up for Umtiti, which gives Valverde a headache on the Camp Nou bench. He had returned to training last week but on Wednesday he completed the session.
Now Valverde has the entirety of his defensive options to choose from now and gone are the days of him having to chose Jeison Murillo out of necessity.
Murillo, Pique, Lenglet, Thomas Vermaelen and Umtiti are all available for selection. Pique and Lenglet have performed excellently as a pair in the Frenchman's absence, meaning Valverde has a big decision on his hands.
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