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Reading FC midfielder John Swift has been ruled out of action for 4–6 weeks.
The former Chelsea youngster was injured while on England U21 duty, and it has since been confirmed that he injured ankle ligaments.
Speaking to the press ahead of this weekend's game against Burton Albion, Jaap Stam said:
"It’s a big blow - I turned off the TV when I saw it happen.
"We don’t need to talk about Swifty like he’s the saviour of Reading but everyone knows how important he is to the way we play.
“He’s shown this season the quality he has, being creative, scoring goals, creating chances for others.
“Of course you need those players in your team - so when you see the injury happen you think - you don’t want that.
“You want to have him fit - but you know it can happen so now we have to think about other players who can play in that role.”
If Swift is out injured for the full 6 weeks, the next game he's available for would be against Fulham or Bristol City around New Year.
The injury could see him miss up to 8 games for The Royals.
Swift has played 17 times for Reading since signing from Chelsea in the summer, scoring 4 goals and providing 4 assists.
Note: This article originally stated the injury would last 6–8 weeks. It is actually 4–6.