Heartbreak as knee injury rules Routledge out of final
WAYNE Routledge will miss Swansea City’s Championship play-off final clash with Brentford due to an ACL injury.
The experienced attacker started the semi-final second leg contest with Barnsley at the Liberty Stadium but twisted his knee early on in the second half against the Tykes.
Routledge limped off the pitch in the 53rd minute before being carried around the field and down the tunnel on a stretcher.
He was replaced by Connor Roberts as Swansea claimed a 1-1 draw to progress into the final after beating Valerien Ismael’s side 2-1 on aggregate - with Brentford overcoming Bournemouth in the other last four tie.
Manager Steve Cooper confirmed Routledge would miss Saturday’s clash with Thomas Frank’s side in the English capital.
And it’s understood that Routledge has suffered an ACL injury which could rule him out of action for the majority of 2021.
The club’s current longest-serving player is out of contract in the summer and could potentially see his 10-year stretch as a Swansea player officially come to an end in the near future.
Routledge has made 305 appearances for the Swans, scoring 33 goals.
Speaking about the influence of Routledge, Cooper said: “First and foremost, just massive respect to the guy.
“The guy just deserves so much respect, credibility and love.
“I’ve been lucky to have him, and I’ve just said to the group that I’ll forever be in debt to him because the support that he’s given me over the last two years has been incredible.”
Meanwhile, academy product
Ollie Cooper has suffered an ankle injury in training.
The 21-year-old has been a regular in matchday squads this season and has made a total of five first-team appearances this term.
However, he also looks set to miss out on the chance to be involved in Saturday’s play-off final after suffering the injury on Monday morning.
The Welshman has undergone a scan to determine the extent of the issue and will be assessed this week.
The Championship play-off final kicks off at 3pm on Saturday.
■ Dyer praise for Swansea duo PLUS the Alan Curtis view: Pages 44&45