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Barcelona striker Luis Suarez is reportedly set to have surgery to remove a cyst in his knee in November, and he could be out of action for two to three weeks as a result.

According to Sport and Catalunya Radio (h/t Marca), the striker has been playing with a synovial cyst in his right knee and the club have pencilled him in for surgery next month during the international break.

Uruguay are on the verge of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and so are unlikely to be involved in an inter-confederation play-off in November.

Even in the unlikely event they lose at home to Bolivia on Tuesday, they still have an excellent chance of qualifying automatically for the tournament because of their strong position in the South American standings:

Barcelona play Sevilla on Sunday, November 5, followed by a two-week break before taking on Leganes on November 19 and then Juventus in the UEFA Champions League three days later—the latter match likely being their target to have him involved again should his recovery go as planned.

It appears playing with the cyst has affected his recent performances, with Rafael Hernandez critical of his showings:

Getting the forward back to his best is imperative, as he's an incredible player when fit and firing on all cylinders, as demonstrated by Squawka Football:

Lionel Messi will naturally look to shoulder the burden while he's out, but with Ousmane Dembele also on the sidelines, the likes of Paco Alcacer, Denis Suarez and Gerard Deulofeu will need to show their worth to the squad.

It will be a test of Barca's depth while Suarez is sidelined, though with the club anticipating a relatively short spell out it shouldn't prove too damaging to their prospects.