Swansea City take key player decision ahead of Reading clash | OneFootball

Swansea City have opted against appealing Joel Piroe’s red card against Burnley and will serve a three-game suspension as a result of that, according to Wales Online journalist Ian Mitchelmore.

The Dutchman was sent off in the 74th minute against the Clarets with the Swans already 4-0 down at that time, as he seemed to stamp on the home side’s midfielder Josh Cullen.

It’s currently unclear how much contact he made with the former West Ham United midfielder but the Welsh side have opted against launching an appeal to try and keep him involved in the first team.

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Following the weekend’s match, Russell Martin revealed in his press conference that Piroe told him he didn’t mean to make contact with the midfielder and that raised speculation about a potential appeal.

The forward has been a key player since his arrival at the Swansea.com Stadium last year, recording 22 league goals during his debut season for Martin’s men and recording six assists in the process as a player that adapted extremely well to British football.

But he doesn’t look set to be involved in tonight’s clash against Reading, also missing out on local ties against Cardiff City and Bristol City with the Dutchman needing to spend three games on the sidelines.

The Verdict:

Considering the lack of options the Royals have at the back, having Piroe there could have caused them real problems so it’s a big blow for them not to have him in action tonight.

It’s also a blow for them in terms of the Cardiff game because he made such an impact at the Swansea.com Stadium against the Bluebirds last season and would have wanted to replicate that.

Bristol City, meanwhile, will be seen as a very winnable game for the Swans with Nigel Pearson’s side’s defence sometimes letting them down, with the Dutchman potentially fancying himself to get on the scoresheet then as well.

However, he hasn’t been in the best form in recent weeks and amid this busy schedule, some time away from action will enable him to recharge his batteries and potentially come back as a better player.

He would probably much rather be on the pitch and making an impact, but this time is a period for Piroe to rest and reflect and considering how busy the Swans’ schedule is, it won’t be long before he’s back involved again.