Craig Berube delivers more bad news about Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews

Auston Matthews has been dealing with a lingering upper-body injury since the start of the year, and fans have been wondering if there will come a time when he is finally ready to return.

On Tuesday, the Maple Leafs captain was placed on the injured reserve as the team needed roster spots to make up for the absence of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Pontus Holmberg.

Meanwhile, it was revealed by the team that Matthews could come back at any time.

This subsequently led to optimism that he could return to the lineup as soon as this Thursday against the New York Islanders.

Unfortunately, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube was quick to dispel this notion on Wednesday.

Simply put, you will not be seeing Auston Matthews in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform this week.

When Matthews has been on the ice, he has played well, notching 11 goals and 12 assists in 24 games.

In terms of goal-scoring, he has been off his usual pace, although his injury can easily explain the decline in production.

Having said that, his prolonged absence from the team is concerning, and it seems likely that he will have to miss the 4 Nations Face-Off.

For Maple Leafs fans, the 4 Nations Face-Off is a necessary sacrifice for a healthy Matthews come playoff time.

Only time will tell how all of this plays out, and whether or not the captain and the team can see eye to eye.