Swansea City head coach Vitor Matos has confirmed that Stephen Eustaquio will miss Saturday's clash with Norwich City after the midfielder returned from international duty with a shoulder injury.
The 29-year-old was forced off at half-time during Canada's meeting with the United States in the early hours of Wednesday morning after reporting a worrying sensation in his shoulder. Canada head coach Jesse Marsch revealed afterwards that Eustaquio had heard a 'crack' and was sent to hospital for an X-ray amid fears he could have suffered a broken collarbone.
Encouraging update from Matos
However, Matos has now offered an encouraging update on the midfielder's condition, suggesting the initial picture is relatively positive, although further assessment will be required before a decision can be made on his availability for subsequent fixtures.
"Josh [Key] is still on the rehab plan, and Stephen, as everyone knows, had a situation with his shoulder," Matos said. "He will not be available for tomorrow, but let's see for the further matches. At the moment, the picture looks okay. But let's go step by step."
Eustaquio has become an important figure for the Swans since joining the club this summer, making six league appearances and scoring his first goal in the 2-1 victory over Lincoln City before the international break. His absence will be a blow for Matos as the league leaders prepare to welcome Norwich to the Swansea.com Stadium, although the head coach will be hopeful of having the midfielder back in contention sooner rather than later.
Other team news
Defender Josh Key is also set to miss out after picking up a hamstring injury against Burnley. The 25-year-old was absent for the trip to Lincoln and remains on his rehabilitation programme.
Matos, meanwhile, confirmed that the rest of his squad had returned from international duty without any immediate concerns, although the club were still assessing players following their respective commitments and travels. "Everyone else is looking good. Players are arriving back step by step," he added. "A lot of them have had game-time and long travels, so at the moment we're assessing everyone, seeing how everyone is, and then getting ready for the game."
There was also positive news regarding Ross Stewart, with the striker available again after recovering from a long-term quad injury. The forward has been working his way back to fitness in recent weeks, and his return gives Matos another option in attack as Swansea look to maintain their position at the top of the table.
The Swans will hope to build on their strong start to the campaign against Norwich, with the extent of Eustaquio's shoulder problem likely to become clearer in the coming days.
