Swansea City goalkeeper Steven Benda is set to miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury.
The German ousted Andy Fisher as the club’s first-choice shot stopper in September and started 21 successive Championship matches for the Swans.
However, Benda needed treatment in the second-half of Swansea’s 1-1 draw with Queens Park Rangers on Saturday after landing awkwardly when attempting to keep out an effort from former Swan Jamal Lowe.
He was later withdrawn and replaced by Fisher, with Russell Martin stating he was concerned for the 24-year-old - who was wearing a knee brace after the contest at Loftus Road.
"I hope he's OK, they're assessing him now," Martin said of Benda after the draw with QPR.
"It doesn't look horrific but it doesn't look brilliant either. We'll just have to get him scanned as quickly as possible and see how he is."
And on potentially needing to replace Benda, the head coach commented: "If we get the scan results back and it's a bit longer than we'd hope, then of course we're going to have a look at it."
The head coach's worst fears have since been confirmed, with Benda likely to be sidelined for a significant chunk of 2023. He is set to see a specialist later this week to get further clarity on the injury.
It leaves Fisher as the only remaining senior goalkeeper at the club, with Swansea now exploring the option of adding a new shot stopper to their ranks.
Archie Matthews recently joined Oxford City on loan for the remainder of the season while Lewis Webb - who has recently been at Aberystwyth Town - is yet to feature for the Swans at first team level.
However, Swansea could use Webb as a back-up to Fisher for the foreseeable future given that they would be able to recruit a goalkeeper via the emergency loan system later in the season if required.
English Football League rules state a goalkeeper can be signed via the emergency loan system if all professional goalkeepers at the club are unavailable due to injury or suspension.
Goalkeepers must have been named in the starting eleven of first team league or cup matches on five or more occasions to be deemed as a professional player.
The transfer deadline is at 11pm on Tuesday, January 31.
READ NEXT:
