Samuel Umtiti Injury: Defender Injures Hamstring, Will Miss 3 Weeks

Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti injured his hamstring during the international break and will not feature for France in their upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Sweden on Friday.

Barcelona confirmed Thursday that Umtiti has "a rupture to the femoral biceps muscle of his left thigh" and will be out for three weeks.

On Wednesday, Sport first reported the knock picked up by the Frenchman.

Umtiti has impressed plenty in the early stages of his career in Catalonia, bringing a dynamic and assured presence to the centre of the Barcelona defence.

The 22-year-old was drafted in to provide competition for the likes of Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano, but he has shown plenty to suggest he can be a brilliant long-term option for the Blaugrana.

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As a left-sided player, Umtiti adds a desirable balance to the centre of the defence, able to open up the play when bringing the ball out from the back. Additionally, the France international is committed and physical in his defensive work, thundering into tackles and rarely losing out in physical tussles.

With Pique and Mascherano, manager Luis Enrique normally has options to call upon. Pique has been sidelined himself, however, as the Catalans face a minor defensive injury crisis.

Jeremy Mathieu is an experienced and dependable defender for the manager to use, but he has been far from his best this season and hasn't played since his red card in the UEFA Champions League against Manchester City. He, too, has been hampered by a knock.