The Catalan surgeon who played a part in David Villa's recovery from a broken tibia has revealed that the striker came close to having his leg amputated.

The 30-year-old suffered the injury in last December's World Club Championships in Japan but after it was decided that Villa should quickly return to Spain, Dr Ramon Cugat has admitted that it could have ended the striker's career.

Cugat told La Sexta: "Big pressure changes like that at eight, 10 or 12 thousand metres take a big toll.

"They can lead to severe injuries, or even cause you to lose a limb."

Villa returned to the Barcelona side in August and he has scored six goals in 12 appearances for the La Liga leaders this season.