Swansea's Jefferson Montero forced to pull out of Ecuador squad
Tuesday 8 November 2016 16:47, UK
Swansea forward Jefferson Montero will be unavailable for Ecuador's World Cup Qualifier against Uruguay on Thursday after it is revealed he has fractured a bone in his hand.
The 27-year-old suffered the injury in a fall after coming on as a half-time substitute during Sunday's 3-1 defeat to Manchester United.
Montero travelled to Ecuador immediately after the game to join up with his team-mates for international duty.
He was instructed by national team medical staff to undergo an X-ray on arrival and it was then the full extent of the hand injury became apparent.
A statement on Swansea's website said: "Having been excused international duty, Montero is currently flying back to Swansea to see a specialist and assess whether he is able to continue playing with a cast."
The Ecuadorian, who had only just returned to action after missing over a month and a half with a calf injury, will see specialists to determine a treatment plan in the coming days but it is unclear at this stage how long the player will be sidelined for.
Gustavo Quinteros' Ecuador side face an uphill struggle against an in-form Uruguay team.
