Swansea City have been dealt a significant setback with the news that midfielder George Byers has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a high ankle sprain.

Byers was forced off at half-time during Swansea's 3-2 defeat to Derby County over the weekend after he fell awkwardly under a challenge from Rams goalkeeper Ben Hamer, and it has now emerged that Byers' injury is season-ending.

The 23-year-old has been a regular in the Swans' starting line-up during their mixed campaign this term, with the former Watford man having started each of his side's six league games prior to the Derby clash on Saturday.

Byers has now taken to Instagram to share a disappointed message in reaction to injury setback, but the midfielder has received an outpouring of support from fans and players alike.

His former team-mate Oli McBurnie was one of those vocal in his support of Byers, with the Sheffield United striker posting a comment saying 'Best in the world ❤️'.

Byers and McBurnie played together during Swansea's first season back in the Championship last term, with the latter then sealed his top-flight move to the Blades after netting 22 goals in 42 league games for the Swans last season.

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The Verdict

This news will come as a significant blow to Swansea given how much playing time Byers has received this term, and particularly seeing as the Swans are already relatively light in midfield after releasing Tom Carroll back in January.

It is now important that Swansea protect their remaining midfielders from suffering any problems, while Byers should now focus on being in his best condition to commence pre-season training over the summer.

The number of messages that Byers has received shows how much of a popular figure he is at the club, while messages from former team-mates such as McBurnie also reveal the popularity of the midfielder's character.