Barcelona, Spain – Barcelona defender Carles Puyol will have knee surgery Saturday and will likely miss Euro 2012 for Spain.
The 34-year-old Puyol felt knee pain in Barcelona's 4-0 victory over Espanyol on Saturday and tests revealed an arthroscopic operation was necessary. Puyol will have loose cartilage removed, need six weeks to recover from the surgery.
He will miss the rest of the season for Barca, including the King's Cup final, and Spain opens its Euro 2012 tournament in just over a month against Italy.
Capped 99 times for Spain, the Barcelona captain has been an integral part of the team for a decade. He helped Spain win Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.
Puyol appeared in 44 matches for Barca this season.
