Barcelona will be without striker Luis Suarez for their next few matches after the club confirmed that the Uruguayan will undergo knee surgery on Sunday.
Spanish daily newspaper Sport have claimed that the former Liverpool star has been struggling with a knee issue and that he could now miss several weeks of action as he goes under the knife.
The report also claims that Suarez had to have an injection to feature in Thursday's Supercopa de Espana defeat to Atletico Madrid in Saudi Arabia.
Confirming the requirement for surgery, a club statement read: "The first team player Luis Suarez will be operated on Sunday by Dr. Ramon Cugat for an injury to the external meniscus of his right knee."
Suarez has been in impressive form for Barca in the 2019-20 season and has scored 17 goals in all competitions for Ernesto Valverde's side.
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His absence from the first team will come as a blow to the Catalan giants, with the club not currently possessing a like-for-like replacement in their squad, with Antoine Griezmann or Lionel Messi likely to be required to switch to a more advanced role.
As reported by Goal, Barca are aware of their lack of a back-up for Suarez and are seeking to bring in a long-term replacement for the 32-year-old.
With the January market notoriously difficult for negotiating deals, however, it's likely that they will have to wait until the summer to conclude any possible transfer.
Prior to his move to Dortmund, Erling Haaland was among those considered by the club, while Lautaro Martinez is another on Barca's radar, with the Argentine continuing to impress alongside Romelu Lukaku at Inter
It is not the first time that Suarez has had injury issues with his knee, with the Uruguayan having missed matches in both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons due to similar problems.
He also had to go under the knife in May 2019, again to correct an issue with his knee, with the 32-year-old missing the final three matches of the season as a result.
The Liga champions will undoubtedly be hoping to have Suarez back and available before the decisive months of the campaign this time around, with their Champions League last-16 first-leg clash with Napoli coming up on February 25.
Barca are currently top of the Liga table although they are only ahead of Real Madrid on goal difference, with third-placed Atletico Madrid a further five points back in third place.