Swansea 0 - Valencia 1: Wilfred Bony crocked as Valencia win at the Liberty Stadium

Wilfried Bony limped out of Swansea’s European ­campaign to hand Michael Laudrup a major injury worry.

SIDELINED: Swansea forward Wilfred Bony picked up an injury against Valencia yesterday [GETTY]

The £12m Ivory Coast striker, the Swans’ record buy in the summer from Vitesse Arnhem, went off just before half-time with what looked a serious hamstring strain.

And with last year’s top scorer Michu already out with knee problems, it leaves Laudrup short of strike power as his Premier League campaign hits a spell of three games in eight days.

Bony had come so close last night to adding to his nine goals for the season.

And to add to Laudrup’s woes he ­immediately saw substitute Alvaro Vazquez have what looked a perfectly good ­equaliser ruled out for offside.

Swansea seem to have had one foot in the knockout stages of the Europa League ever since they began their ­campaign with a 3-0 win in Valencia.

“Swansea seem to have had one foot in the knockout stages of the Europa League ever since they began their ­campaign with a 3-0 win in Valencia”

Getting the other foot over the line has been not so simple, late goals denying them wins in their last two games.

But the night could not have started better, with news from ­Russia before kick-off that Kuban ­Krasnodar had ­beaten St Gallen 4-0.
So a draw would be enough for the Swans – but it wasn’t that simple as ­Valencia grabbed a 21st-minute lead they hardly deserved.

The Spanish side have fallen on tough times, with major budget cutting since finishing fifth in La Liga last season, and are currently mid-table.
But they had a large slice of luck as Swansea keeper Gerhard Tremmel’s punch from a corner went to Juan ­Bernat on the edge of the box.

REVENGE: Daniel Parejo (right) celebrates scoing the only goal of the game with his teammates [GETTY]

His first-time volley could have gone anywhere, but it went straight to Daniel Parejo, who steered it into an empty net.
Until then it had been Swansea, and Bony in particular, who had looked most threatening with Jonjo Shelvey pulling strings in midfield.

He picked out Roland Lamah on the left with an incisive pass, the move ­ending with Bony heading just wide.
That lifted the team and Alejandro ­Pozuelo won and took a corner from which Bony again went close.
Then Neil Taylor swung in a cross from the left and Nathan Dyer, all 5ft 5ins of him, outjumped Valencia’s ­defence to put a header an inch wide.