IN SPORT.ES
Samuel Umtiti is still absent from Barcelona's first-team but he will step up his recovery this week by playing a friendly for the B team on Wednesday.
Umtiti has not played for Barça since June and won't travel for the game against Ferencvaros in the Champions League but he is nearing a return.
The French defender has been back in training for a few weeks and is now entering the final phase of his recovery ahead of a potential return to the first team.
Wednesday's game is the next step and if he comes through it Ronald Koeman and the medical staff will decide on the next step to take.
Barça injury list in defence -- Gerard Pique's out for months and Araujo's been missing for weeks -- has hastened the need for Umtiti to return but Koeman is against taking risks.
Umtiti has struggled with a knee injury since 2018, avoiding surgery, and Barça don't want him to continue to have problems once he eventually returns to action.