Swansea City boss Russell Martin criticises treatment of Joe Allen

Swansea City manager Russell Martin has admitted there were “mistakes” in the treatment of Joe Allen.

The midfield ace who has not played since 17 September because of a hamstring problem and now faces a rush to be fit for the World Cup, has been hampered after “red flags” were missed according to Martin.

Speaking to BBC Wales, the Swansea boss said the club must learn lessons after the issues surrounding the players rehabilitation “could have been avoided”.

It appears that the initial injury was misdiagnosed as relatively minor when in fact it was much more significant.

“I’ve been so angry about it for Joe,” said Martin. “The injury couldn’t have been avoided. The length of his injury, there’s been mistakes, definitely.

“With any of these things you have to seek external expertise and yeah there were a few mistakes along the way.

“Joe’s desperation to try and get fit for Swansea first and foremost and not worry about the World Cup meant that we missed a few red flags early on.

“It meant he tried to come back and got re-injured. So there’s loads we can do better as a club. In the first instance there were mistakes externally which shouldn’t have happened. So collectively, I can’t sit here and lie to you, it wasn’t good enough.

“I’m pretty sure in a situation like that again, it won’t pan out in the same way. There needs to be learning from everyone and hopefully that will be the case.”

Massive

Robert Page admits he was never going to leave out Joe Allen of Wales’ World Cup squad, even though doubts persist over whether the Swansea midfielder will be fit to play in the tournament.

Allen, who played at both Euro 2016 and Euro 2020, remains a key player for Wales at the age of 32 but has not played since damaging his hamstring on September 17.

He was among a 26-man squad announced for this month’s tournament in Qatar on Wednesday as Page returned to his Rhondda roots to name Wales’ first World Cup group for 64 years.

“We’re giving him every opportunity to be fit,” Wales boss Page said as he unveiled his squad at Tylorstown Welfare Hall, where he played snooker as a teenager before embarking on a football career that saw him play for Sheffield United and Watford and win 41 caps for his country.

“There was no way I was ever going to not name him in the 26. He’s on the grass,” Page said.

“He’s progressing as we want him to and we’ll give him every opportunity to be fit for the first game.

“I phoned him a couple of days ago to tell him he was in the 26 just to take that pressure off him.

“If he’s fit, he’s playing. He’s massive for how I play and the success we’ve had.

“He’s got vast amounts of experience playing tournament football as well, so he knows the game inside out and that’s invaluable. That’s why I’m throwing everything at it.”