Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup has confirmed the club are in the market for a goalscorer ahead of the January transfer window, Sky Sports understands.
The Swans were without the likes of Michel Vorm, Michu and Nathan Dyer at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day, with the trio set to miss an extended period.
Michu has been ruled out for at least six weeks following ankle surgery, while Vorm is expected to return in late January.
There is no timetable on a potential first-team return for Nathan Dyer, who suffered ligament damage to his ankle in the Swans’ 1-1 draw against Norwich City earlier this month.
“I think we are a little short now, because we are talking about the injuries. It is not just two weeks, we are talking several weeks,” Laudrup told Sky Sports.
“A part of that is just very small injuries. If you have two or three injuries, you can always cope. As long as you have 18 or 19 players, it is enough.
“But at the moment we have a couple of important injuries for a longer time and that is why maybe we have to do something in January.
“But one thing is to want to do something and another thing is to find the right ones, because a lot of teams are looking, especially for players who can score goals, in the transfer window.”
Swansea, currently in 11th-place in the English Premier League table, has struggled to score at times this season, and understandably so.
Michu, the Swans’ top scorer in 2012/13 with 18 goals in 35 league games, has found the back of the net on just two occasions in 12 EPL appearances this term.
With the Spanish ace sidelined, the goal-scoring will surely have to come from Wilfried Bony, who joined Swansea from Dutch Eredivisie side Vitesse Arnhem in a £12 million in the summer.
The Côte d’Ivoire international, 25, leads Swansea with nine goals in all competitions this season.
Aston Villa (7/4); Swansea City (8/5); Draw (11/5)
Bettinelli returns to Fulham
Fulham have recalled goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli from his loan spell at League Two side Accrington Stanley F.C.
Bettinelli, 21, made 19 first-team appearances at the Fraser Eagle Stadium before being recalled by the Cottagers ahead of the Boxing Day clash versus Norwich City at Carrow Road.
The 21-year-old was on the bench against the Canaries on Thursday, witnessing a 2-1 come-from-behind win for the visitors.
However, Fulham are still in the bottom-three because top-flight newcomers Crystal Palace managed to find a 92nd-minute winner, courtesy of Dwight Gayle, against Aston Villa.
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