Barcelona's Vermaelen out for a month with calf injury

Injury-plagued Thomas Vermaelen will be out of action for a month after suffering a torn muscle in his calf, Barcelona have confirmed.

Vermaelen was featuring in LaLiga for just the third time this season in the 5-0 crushing of Levante on Sunday when he sustained the injury, forcing his withdrawal for Arthur in the 52nd minute.

The Belgian has endured woeful luck with injuries in his career, missing lengthy periods at Arsenal due to fitness problems.

The issues continued after his move to Barca in 2014, robbing him of the chance of being consistently available for selection.

Vermaelen has already missed almost two months of action this term due to a hamstring strain, and he is unlikely to feature in any of Barca's next five games.

LaLiga's pacesetters host Celta Vigo in their last game before the mid-season break, returning in January for league action against Getafe and Eibar as well as a two-legged Copa del Rey tie with Levante.