Van der Hoorn vows to come back stronger after injury shocker
SWANSEA City defender Mike van der Hoorn looks set to miss the remainder of the 2019/20 campaign due to injury.
The centre-back suffered a knee problem in the warm-up before the Boxing Day defeat to Brentford, an issue that subsequently saw him miss the game at Griffin Park.
It brought an end to the Dutchman’s remarkable run of 70 consecutive league starts for the club, a sequence that started on the final day of the 2017/18 campaign against Stoke City.
After missing that loss to the Bees and then the 0-0 draw with Barnsley, van der Hoorn returned to action for the 1-0 win over Charlton on January 2.
However, he was forced off the pitch after just 58 minutes and has not played since.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Swansea’s Championship clash with Fulham, Steve Cooper revealed the club were awaiting news from a scan on the defender’s knee.
And their worst horrors have been confirmed as it has emerged that the 27-year-old is unlikely to play any further part for Swansea this term.
“He’s had to have an operation today. He had a check-up scan and unfortunately the knee had not recovered,” said Cooper.
“He had to undergo surgery straight away which more or less rules him out for the season. He might be back for the last game. He’s thinking he will, Mike being Mike.”
With his contract set to expire in the summer, it means van der Hoorn - who signed from Ajax in 2016 - may well have played his final game for the club.
Trevor Birch recently revealed that van der Hoorn will be offered a new contract, although the terms will be reduced from those in his current deal if the Swans do not gain promotion.
It comes after the club triggered a one-year contract extension clause in van der Hoorn’s previous deal in the latter stages of the 2018/19 season.
However, the Dutch centre-back had previously been set to put pen to paper on a two-year deal prior to Huw Jenkins’ departure from the club.
Speaking in March last year, he said: “I think it’s from Swansea, the option, so it’s not my option. They’re going to decide if they want to have me for longer.
“There were talks when Huw Jenkins was here that we would extend the contract by two more years. Obviously he has gone and I haven’t heard anything yet so we will see.
“I’ve got my ambitions and we just need to be on the same page.”
The defender has made 119 appearances in all competitions for the Swans, scoring a total of six goals.
Swansea do of course have Joe Rodon, Ben Wilmot, Ben Cabango and Marc Guehi in their ranks.