Vermaelen ruled out for four to six months
Barcelona defender Thomas Vermaelen could miss the rest of the season after it was revealed he requires surgery on a hamstring injury.

Vermaelen, who moved from Arsenal in August in a deal worth a reported €19 million, has yet to feature for Barca due to the problem, which he picked up while representing Belgium against Russia at the World Cup.
Though he has returned to training numerous times, the club's doctors are yet to clear him to play.
And the 29-year-old is now in danger of missing the entire campaign after Barca confirmed an operation was necessary.
"First team footballer Thomas Vermaelen will undergo surgery on his right semitendinosus muscle by doctor Sakari Orava next Tuesday in Finland," a statement on Barcelona's official website read.
"The estimated recovery time is 4 to 6 months."
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.

‘So many times when we played Manchester United, arguments would start before the first whistle had even blown – the players would try to kill each other with their eyes’ Former Arsenal star remembers famous Premier League rivalry

Bizarre Jose Mourinho statement aims to pre-empt punishment after Fenerbahce boss clashes with Galatasaray counterpart