David Villa is in doubt for Barcelona’s weekend trip to play Granada, after falling ill.
The Spanish international striker was admitted to hospital on Monday with a bout of renal colic.
According to Barca, 31-year-old Villa will have to undergo an operation to rectify the condition.
Renal colic is a severe form of stomach pain, generally caused by kidney stones.
The illness compounds a spell of misery for Villa.
He has only just begun to regain full fitness after breaking his leg in December 2011, and has been left on the bench by Barca boss Tito Vilanova more often than not this season.
While Villa has obviously been unhappy with his status at the Camp Nou, and has been linked to various European clubs like Arsenal, Barca continue to insist he has an important role to play in their hunt for glory this season and in the future.
He will feel particularly unfortunate to suffer yet another fitness mishap, and will be desperate not to spend too much time in the recovery room after his impending operation.
