Swansea City will not be fielding new signing Ross Stewart in their upcoming Carabao Cup first-round match against Birmingham City on Saturday. Stewart, who joined the Swans on a three-year deal after departing Southampton, has yet to fully integrate into the squad following a period without pre-season training.
The 30-year-old striker won the race to secure Stewart’s services after he became a free agent, impressing with 11 goals in 33 appearances last season despite a history of injuries. Southampton were keen to retain him but failed to meet the deadline to activate a contract extension.
Meanwhile, Swansea’s manager Vitor Matos confirmed Stewart will require a gradual introduction to first-team football. “He will not be involved in this game,” Matos said at his pre-match press conference. “He has missed all pre-season so he will need to step by step get him into the team. In the future, for sure, against Birmingham of course not.”
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Alongside Stewart, Swansea’s attacking options include last season’s Championship Golden Boot winner Zan Vipotnik and £7 million acquisition Adam Idah. However, Vipotnik himself is still regaining full fitness following an injury sustained during pre-season. He remains available for selection, though, and is expected to return to full match readiness in time.
“Vipotnik missed an important part of pre-season, around 10-12 days, and played only 20 minutes in the last friendly. He’s gradually getting back,” Matos explained.
The Swansea boss also confirmed that key midfielder Goncalo Franco will be sidelined for the fixture due to injury, leaving the squad slightly depleted ahead of the clash.
Swansea’s squad depth means the manager has various options to deploy as the team aims to progress in the Carabao Cup despite these early setbacks.