Rowlands says sorry to swans keeper de vries
Dorus de Vries has received a letter of apology from Martin Rowlands over the challenge which put him in hospital.The Queens Park Rangers skipper has said sorry after leaving de Vries with a depressed fracture of the cheekbone and a fractured jaw when he caught him with a boot in Tuesday's goalless draw at the Liberty Stadium.
Swansea City's goalkeeper, who had still to watch footage of the incident yesterday, feels he has little choice but to accept what Rowlands says.
"He wrote a letter after the game to apologise to me," de Vries said.
"He apologised to the gaffer as well and told him he meant to play the ball.
"I haven't actually seen the letter yet because I've been in hospital, but I accept the apology because there's nothing else you can do.
"I haven't seen what happened again yet so I can only go on what I remember from the pitch.
"I went for the ball, he went for the ball and unfortunately, he took me out.
"It might be one of those where as a keeper you're going in with your face and you think the other guy can just pull back a bit.
"But it's hard for me to judge until I see it again."
The big Dutchman is facing at least six weeks out after surgery to push his cheekbone back out on Wednesday.
He was in decent spirits when he met up with his Swansea colleagues yesterday, though talking was not easy.
"I'm a bit tired after the operation and a major blow to the head," de Vries added.
''But these things happen in football. Everybody is fighting for the ball, everybody wants to prove himself, and I am just unlucky that the injury has happened to me.
"When it first happened I wanted to stay on because I knew we didn't have another keeper in the squad.
"But our physio, Richie Evans, told me that wouldn't be happening because my cheekbone was dented.
"The help I got at the stadium, in the ambulance and at the hospital was brilliant and now I just have to be positive and look forward to coming back as soon as I can."
Former Dunfermline keeper de Vries has never previously missed a league game since joining Swansea in the summer of 2007.
The club are looking into the possibility of fitting him with a protective mask to speed up his recovery.
Whether he wears one or not, de Vries is promising his game will not be affected by the Rowlands incident.
"I will slide out again because that's a goalkeeper's life," he said.
"You have to take every ball and every time you have to throw your body into it."
Back-up keeper Artur Krysiak, meanwhile, admits he is feeling the tension as he prepares for a possible Swansea debut against Southampton tomorrow in the absence of de Vries.
"I'm really nervous because for me it's a big challenge," said the on-loan Birmingham City man.
"I'm nervous because it's a big game, but I think that's normal if you are 19 years old.
"I'm very sad for Dorus because it was a very bad challenge and I think the player should have left the ball.
"But if I get a chance this weekend I will give 100 per cent and try to keep a clean sheet for the team."
Polish Under-19 cap Krysiak's only previous first-team experience has come during loan spells at Gretna and York City.
His stay with the Minstermen earlier this season was ended by a dislocated finger which he has only recently recovered from.
"I am 100 per cent fit now," he added, "but I could maybe have done with a few more training sessions.
"I hope to get a chance against Southampton because it would be a great experience for me. I have never played in front of such a big crowd."
