Adam Idah facing lengthy layoff due to ‘significant’ injury

Swansea manager Vitor Matos has confirmed Ireland striker Adam Idah could be facing months on the sidelines in a significant injury blow. Pic: Nick Potts/PA Wire.

Swansea manager Vitor Matos has confirmed Ireland striker Adam Idah could be facing months on the sidelines in a significant injury blow.

Idah pulled up with a hamstring problem in training before the St Stephen’s Day defeat to Coventry City, and Matos fears the issue is likely to be “significant”.

However, he insists an exact timeframe on a return for the forward, who cost the club £6m in the summer, isn’t yet known.

When pressed on whether the former Celtic man was facing months rather than weeks on the sidelines, Matos responded: “It could be. It’s not clear yet, but it could be a significant one.”

The Republic of Ireland striker is now a doubt for the World Cup playoff match away to Czechia in March.

Meanwhile, a late brace from Ireland international Sinclair Armstrong helped Bristol City record a thumping 5-0 New Year’s Day victory over Portsmouth at Ashton Gate.

Former Plymouth midfielder Adam Randell shocked the Pompey fans behind the goal early on with the sweetest of right-footed shots into the top corner from 25 yards after a cross into the area had been cleared into his path.

The quality of that effort was almost matched by Anis Mehmeti after 24 minutes, his precise strike from outside the area skidding low past Portsmouth goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid following a defensive mix-up.

It was 3-0 five minutes after the break thanks to Scott Twine’s first-time, left-footed shot from 10 yards from a Neto Borges cross.

More calamitous defending saw Armstrong slot the fourth from close range nine minutes later after fellow substitute Sam Bell had won possession on the right of the box.

An unstoppable Armstrong drive, rifled home in stoppage time, completed the rout as the impressive Robins kept in close touch with the Championship play-off places, while Pompey were left to lick their wounds.

Meanwhile, Frank Lampard admitted to a tinge of disappointment after Coventry failed to convert chances in their 1-1 draw at Charlton. The Championship leaders took just over two minutes to make a breakthrough at The Valley through striker Ellis Simms.

But Joe Rankin-Costello equalised for the Addicks in the 69th minute as they bounced back from Monday’s last-gasp defeat at Portsmouth.

“I’ve got respect for this Charlton team,” said Lampard, whose Sky Blues are eight points clear of second-placed Ipswich. “Teams will come here and find it hard. I’m a bit disappointed with the point because in the first half of the season we went win, win, win — everyone’s expectations go up — but there is also a reality of coming to a tough place.

“We had the cleaner chances in the game and we didn’t take them.”

Kieran McKenna was pleased to see his Ipswich side claim three points against Oxford but disappointed they lacked “an edge” to kill the game off.

The 2-1 win moved the Tractor Boys up to second in the table as they registered a fourth successive home win.

It proved enough for them to leapfrog Middlesbrough, who lost at Derby.

McKenna said: “We’re happy to get the win. It’s coming in a really busy week for everyone and you have to appreciate it even more. I thought we certainly did enough to win the game but without doing everything that we probably wanted to do, to be honest.”

Elsewhere, Tom Ince’s first league hat-trick in a decade gave Watford an emphatic 3-0 victory over a dismal Birmingham side at Vicarage Road and continued his side’s surge towards the Championship automatic promotion places.