Barcelona's Samuel Umtiti out for eight weeks with hamstring injury
Sunday 3 December 2017 12:15, UK
Barcelona will be without centre back Samuel Umtiti for eight weeks after he tore a hamstring against Celta Vigo on Saturday.
Umtiti's injury means Barca will have to rely on the injury-prone Thomas Vermaelen to partner Gerard Pique until Javier Mascherano returns from a hamstring problem midway through December.
Barcelona face Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League before taking on Villarreal, Deportivo La Coruna and then Real Madrid in their final game of 2017.
Vermaelen, who came on to replace Umtiti in the 2-2 draw against Celta, has only started one league game this season.
Umtiti sustained the injury at a crucial stage of the game as he tried to keep up with Celta forward Iago Aspas, who raced towards goal unchallenged to lay on a pass for Maxi Gomez to equalise in the 70th minute.
"Losing Samuel right now is a big loss, he was in excellent form," said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde.
"The injury cost us the goal, it was an accumulation of catastrophes, conceding the equaliser and the injury."
Andres Iniesta will also miss Barcelona's next game due to muscle fatigue that saw him replaced in the 53rd minute by Denis Suarez against Celta.
