Chico doubtful for Malmo clash

Swansea defender Chico Flores is a doubt for Thursday’s UEFA Europa League clash with Malmo.

Swansea are currently preparing to host the Swedish side in the first leg of their third round qualifying tie but are likely to be without the Spanish centre-back.

The 26-year-old is back in training after suffering a thigh injury but is unlikely to be risked by the club’s manager, Michael Laudrup.

“We’ll have to see. We have to be careful about muscle injuries,” Laudrup said.

“He’s been out for nearly two weeks. He’d been training with a dead leg with a lot of liquid in his leg.

“Hopefully he can train with us (on Monday) or Tuesday but it’s not that he has to play in two, three, four, five or six days.

“We have a depth in our squad and I think you could see that in this (Reading) game.

“Because one or two players are out injured we don’t have to change or drop in performance.”

Laudrup was speaking after his side waltzed to a 3-0 triumph at Reading on Saturday, with Michu, Jonjo Shelvey and Pablo Hernandez among the goals.

And the Dane expressed delight with a morale-boosting performance ahead of his side’s focus switching to their important European clash.

“(It was) another step forward against a good side, who I think are one of the favourites to get back to the Premier League,” he said.

“It was a very good result, scoring goals and not conceding any goals once more, so that’s important as well.

“(We are) playing in the first leg at home it’s so important not to concede any goals.”