Swansea Forward Ross Stewart Sidelined by Quad Injury for Four Matches

Swansea City forward Ross Stewart is expected to miss his club’s next four matches due to a quad injury, head coach Vitor Matos has confirmed. The 30-year-old Scotland striker signed a three-year contract with the Welsh club last month, but his start to life at the team has been interrupted by physical setbacks, leaving him with limited playing time so far this season.

Stewart has already missed two consecutive Championship fixtures for Swansea. He was not included in the squad for last Saturday’s victory against Derby County, and he was similarly absent during the team’s victory over Watford on Tuesday evening. To date, the forward has made only a single substitute appearance for Swansea, playing just nine minutes in total during a goalless league draw against Sheffield United 11 days ago.

Providing an update on the striker’s health, Matos described the issue as a minor soft tissue problem and targeted the upcoming break in the domestic schedule for his return. The player’s injury is “not massive, but probably he can return in the international break,” the Swansea head coach said during his team update.

Based on that recovery timeframe, Stewart will be unavailable for a series of league matches leading up to the end of the month. He is set to sit out Saturday’s home game against Wrexham, followed by a midweek away fixture next Tuesday against his former club Southampton. He will also be ruled out of Swansea’s upcoming matches against Burnley and Lincoln City before the international break begins.

While Stewart faces a period on the sidelines, Swansea has received encouraging news regarding team captain Ben Cabango. The central defender was forced off with a heel injury during the draw against Sheffield United 11 days ago and subsequently sat out the wins over Derby County and Watford. However, Matos revealed that Cabango has a chance of returning to the squad in time for Saturday’s match against Wrexham.

Even if Cabango is deemed fit to play, Matos suggested there is no certainty he will immediately step back into the starting team. Swansea currently sits at the top of the Championship table, having gathered 10 points from their first four league matches of the season. They also possess the best defensive record in the second tier, having surrendered only one goal, which came against Stoke City on the opening weekend.

Background

The upcoming international period marks the first international window of the current season. During this window, Scotland’s national team is scheduled to compete in four UEFA Nations League fixtures, facing Slovenia twice, as well as playing against Switzerland and North Macedonia.

Swansea City competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Stewart joined Swansea last month on a three-year deal from Southampton, one of the opponents he will miss playing against during his current injury lay-off.