Barcelona defender Thomas Vermaelen has had an operation on a thigh muscle injury and will be out of action for four months, the Catalan club have said.
Last week, it emerged that the Belgium international, who moved to the Camp Nou from Arsenal in the summer, would need to undergo surgery.
Thomas Vermaelen has successfully undergone surgery in Finland on his hamstring injury http://t.co/WTkmRHXuOK pic.twitter.com/g2lTLrl03Z
- FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 2, 2014
Vermaelen, 29, has yet to feature for Barca since his switch from Arsenal in the summer after suffering the injury while playing for his country against Russia at the World Cup in Brazil.
A statement on Barcelona's official website said: "First team player Thomas Vermaelen successfully underwent surgery on the semitendinosus muscle in his right hamstring.
"The recovery period is estimated at approximately four months."