Umtiti Set For Barcelona Return Against Lyon
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Samuel Umtiti is set to make his long-awaited return from injury after Barcelona named him in the squad on Sunday to face Lyon in the Champions League.
A knee problem has caused Umtiti to play only once in almost five months but the defender resumed training at the end of January and has been included in Barca’s squad for the trip to Lyon on Tuesday.
Umtiti is unlikely to start the first leg against his former club but his availability is a plus for coach Ernesto Valverde, with difficult fixtures to come.
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After Lyon, Barcelona face a trip to Sevilla in La Liga before two Clasicos in four days, the first in the Copa del Rey and the second in the league, both at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Umtiti’s absence left Barca short in central defence. They signed Jeison Murillo on loan from Valencia in January while Jean-Clair Todibo’s summer move from Toulouse was also brought forward.
AFP