Barcelona star Luis Suarez may require surgery to remove cyst on right knee

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has been handed a fresh injury concern with reports in Spain that Luis Suarez may require surgery to remove a cyst on his right knee.

Club doctors hope Suarez will recover with a hands-off approach, but Catalunya Radio says that the Uruguay international will have to go under the knife if the niggles continue.

If that is the case, the operation could take place during the next international break and will keep Suarez on the sidelines for between two and three weeks.

Suarez, 30, originally picked up the injury in his knee during Barcelona's 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup on 16 August.

Barcelona said at the time that the ex Liverpool forward was expected to be on the sidelines for a month.

"Luis Suárez will be out of action for around four weeks. Tests carried out on Thursday morning confirm that the Uruguayan has a distension in the posterior articular capsule in his right knee picked up in the second half of the Clásico on Wednesday in the Santiago Bernabéu," Barcelona said then.

The Barcelona forward missed the La Liga wins over Betis and Alaves but surprisingly recovered on time to join up with Uruguay for the two World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Paraguay played on 31 August and 5 September.

However, Suarez has since been far from his best form, having scored only two goals in La Liga and further one in the Champions League victory over Juventus.

And it looks like his dip in form is not a mere coincidence as Catalunya Radio reports Suarez has been playing with discomfort due to a cyst in his knee.

The radio station says Barcelona doctors have taken a conservative approach with hopes Suarez's niggles will disappear.

However, if this is not the case, the former Liverpool star will be forced to go under the knife.

The news is a major concern for Valverde with Ousmane Dembele not expected to return to action until January. Last month the Frenchman underwent surgery to repair a ruptured biceps femoris in his left leg.

Yet, Catalunya Radio says that Suarez's potential surgery would be much simpler and will only keep the Barcelona star on the sidelines for between two and three weeks.

Furthermore, if an operation is required, Barcelona would prefer it to take place during the November's international break in order for Suarez to miss the least possible games.

Barcelona host Sevilla on 5 November before the international break and just after they will face four further games before the end of the month against Leganes (19 November), Juventus (22 November), Valencia (26 November) and Murcia (29 November).

If Suarez undergoes surgery after the clash with Sevilla and recovers in two weeks, he could be ready for the crucial Champions League trip to Juventus.

Nevertheless, the report suggests the final decision on his operation will also depend on whether Uruguay secure qualification for the World Cup when they host Bolivia on Tuesday night (10 October).

Suarez's national team were held to a goalless draw by Venezuela on Thursday night and still need a point against Bolivia to book a place in Russia 2018 – and go to the following international break with nothing to play for.