Barcelona defender Thomas Vermaelen, who has yet to play a match for the Spanish giants since his summer move from Arsenal, will undergo thigh surgery which will sideline him for up to five months.

The 29-year-old Belgian international's only action since his switch to the Camp Nou for a reported fee of 19 million euros (£15m, $23.7m) was in a friendly game for Barcelona's reserves against an Indonesian under-19 team in September.

"Thomas Vermaelen will undergo surgery on the right semi-tendinous muscle (hamstring) in his right leg next Tuesday in Finland. The estimated recovery time is 4 to 5 months," said a Barcelona statement.

Vermaelen suffered a series of fitness setbacks during his five-year Arsenal career where he missed virtually the whole of the 2010-11 campaign.

He featured in the Belgium squad which reached the World Cup quarter-finals in Brazil although injury ruled him out of the 1-0 loss to Argentina in the last eight.