Phil Sumbler
A first league win last weekend was undoubtedly soured this week for Michael Duff as he confirmed yesterday that both Nathan Wood and Joe Allen would be out for the next three months and that Josh Ginnelly’s debut season for the club was over.
It was not the news that Duff had wanted to share this week as he looked ahead to Saturday’s clash at Millwall and leaves him down on some of the key options in his squad as he looks to build on that all important first win last weekend.
Allen was injured in the warm up for the South Wales derby two weeks ago having been selected in the side he was sidelined before a ball was kicked whilst Wood was forced off in the early stages of last week’s win at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Duff confirmed that both of them would be out until January due to the operations they required on groin (Allen) and ankle (Wood).
The Swans boss also confirmed that Josh Ginnelly, one of his thirteen summer signings, was unlikely to play again this season with his injury a ruptured achillies suffered again last Saturday.
“It’s been bad news for injuries,” Duff admitted.
“Woody will need surgery, so he’s out until January. Allen has had surgery on his groin, so he will be a similar time frame.
“Ginnelly will be out for the season. He has ruptured his Achilles. We didn’t think it was good at the time, because of how it happened.
“They’re three big players for us and it’s three long-term injuries. We’ll support them as we will support all of the players.
“It’s disappointing, but there’s an opportunity for other players now.”
For Ginnelly this is the second time he has been sidelined in recent seasons with an achillies issue. He missed the second half of the 2020/21 season with similar and responded then at the time to some quarters who labelled him injury prone.
“There’s always a small minority who don’t think you are good or that you are injury prone,” he told the Daily Record in January 2021 when the injury was confirmed.
“It’s always for someone who doesn’t play to comment on footballers. The stress we put our bodies through from day one of pre-season I don’t think they could cope with that.
“It’s easy to talk about something you have no clue about.
I saw people saying I was injury prone and things.
“People weren’t looking at the fact I hadn’t played for two years.
“If you don’t do something for two years and go back to it then you will break down and that’s no one’s fault.”
