Swansea City have confirmed that Cameron Burgess is set for a significant spell out of action after scans confirmed the Australia international has ruptured his Achilles.
Burgess was forced off during the latter stages of Swansea's 1-0 defeat to Birmingham City in the Carabao Cup first round on Saturday, and was rushed to hospital for further scans and assessments.
Club confirms full tear
The club have now confirmed the 30-year-old is set for a prolonged spell on the sidelines, although they have stopped short of placing a timescale on his recovery time.
Whether he plays again this season remains to be seen, but Burgess is certainly set to miss a substantial chunk of the upcoming campaign, which continues with a trip to Stoke City on the opening day of the new Championship season this weekend.
In a short statement, the club said: "Swansea City can confirm defender Cameron Burgess is set for a significant spell on the sidelines after scans confirmed the Australia international has ruptured his Achilles.
"Subsequent scans and assessment have revealed that Burgess has suffered a full tear of the Achilles and he will undergo surgery before embarking on his rehabilitation programme."
Options available for Matos
The news means summer signing Stephen Welsh could be set for a prolonged run in the team, while impressive youngster Filip Lissah is another option available to Vitor Matos.
"Welshy is more than ready to come in [and] we can still play Lissah [at centre-back], so there are plenty of options," Matos said after the defeat to Birmingham.
Swansea were understood to be in the market for another centre-back before Burgess' injury, and this latest development may well accelerate their plans.
"From when that is confirmed, of course we need to reassess the situation and think what we can do in the market," Matos added when quizzed on whether the news could force him to tweak any transfer plans.
"Let's see. The market's open. Everything can happen. We never know.
"We are ready to receive the players that will help us to be a better team."
