CATALANS' BLOW

Barca’s Umtiti suffers calf injury in training

The 26-year-old French center-back has struggled with knee and foot problems in the last few seasons and Barca said there was no time frame for his return to training.

In Summary

• La Liga is hoping to start matches again in June, although it has yet to confirm dates for fixtures.

• Barca lead the table with 11 matches remaining and hold a two-point lead over Real Madrid, who are due to begin training on Monday.

Barcelona's Samuel Umtiti during a past match
Barcelona's Samuel Umtiti during a past match
Image: /REUTERS

Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti sustained a calf injury on his return to individual training, the Spanish La Liga club said in a statement on Saturday.

The 26-year-old French center-back has struggled with knee and foot problems in the last few seasons and Barca said there was no time frame for his return to training.

Soccer in Spain has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic since March. La Liga is hoping to start matches again in June, although it has yet to confirm dates for fixtures.

Players will start to train in small groups and progress to full sessions before resuming games.

Barca lead the table with 11 matches remaining and hold a two-point lead over Real Madrid, who are due to begin training on Monday.

Meanwhile, one Besiktas player and a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus three days after the announcement that the Turkish league will resume next month, the club has said.

League leaders Trabzonspor, champions Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas are among leading clubs which held training sessions this week in small groups in line with guidelines set out by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF).

Besiktas said all their players and coaching staff had been tested for the virus, adding that the player and staff member who tested positive had begun treatment.

Fenerbahce said on Friday one of their staff members had tested positive for the virus, prompting the club to cancel a scheduled practice session.

Turkey’s domestic soccer leagues will resume without fans on June 12 after a three-month suspension and TFF Chairman Nihat Ozdemir said on Wednesday the country is planning to host the Champions League final in late August.

Turkey announced on Monday that it will start to gradually ease lockdown measures after the virus outbreak had reached a plateau.