Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, remained out of practice on Wednesday after suffering an upper-body injury earlier this week, having already missed the second game of the team’s preseason. Initially, there was some concern over the severity of the injury, but according to a recent update from Leafs Latest on X and The Sun’s Lance Hornby, Matthews is dealing with what’s being described as “bumps and bruises.”
TSN’s Chris Johnston, via Leafs Latest, reported that, despite Matthews’ absence, there’s no indication that the issue will turn into a long-term concern. “Auston Matthews is dealing with “bumps and bruises.” So far, there’s no indication this will turn into a long-term concern,” the Leafs Latest account reported on X. “This could simply be a case of players returning to training camp, where the intensity of battle drills increases compared to summer skates.
Matthews hasn’t been fully ruled out for Thursday’s game; it will depend on how he feels that morning.Even if he can’t play then, there are still three more preseason games, providing ample time before the regular season. This isn’t expected to be a serious issue when the real games begin.” Leafs head coach Craig Berube remained calm when asked about the injury on Wednesday, suggesting it’s part of the normal grind of training camp and not something the team is overly worried about. “Maintenance more than anything,” Berube said, via TSN’s Mark Masters. “He left practice yesterday, but it’s maintenance today.”
