Samuel Umtiti has not played in months and has no scheduled return time, as he continues a conservative treatment in Qatar and Barcelona meant to alleviate his knee issues. The FIFA World Cup winner last played on November 24th against Atlético Madrid, and before that, he had not played after the September 26th match against Leganés.

The defender’s decision to forgo surgery has been controversial amongst the medical staff, and as his return gets further delayed, it is increasingly looking like he made the wrong call.

Still, there’s no decision on his part to undergo surgery at the moment. For now, it seems like they are still hoping his current treatment will finally bear fruit.

A frustrating situation all around, and perhaps especially so for the player, who had started to establish himself as one of the best defenders in the world prior to the knee ailment.