No risks with Walsh

INJURY-PLAGUED STAR WILL FEATURE... BUT NOT JUST YET, SAYS BOSS

SWANSEA City boss Luke Williams insists he will treading carefully in introducing Liam Walsh back into his first-team plans.

Walsh returned to training with the rest of the senior squad during the international break, having recovered from a recent calf problem.

There had been fears that he may miss out on the rest of the season, but the sight of him back on the grass suggests he could well pull on a Swans shirt again before the end of the campaign.

Williams insists there is a place for the 26-year-old (pictured) in his plans over the coming weeks, but confirmed the forward won’t be involved in the trip to Sheffield Wednesday today.

Speaking ahead of his side’s trip to Hillsborough, Williams said: “I was with Liam half an hour ago, and he looked like he was going to kill me.

“He looked like he was going to throttle me because he wasn’t in the squad. The reason being he’s worked really well.

“He’s a guy who has been caged up and he wants to prove himself. The problem is that his body’s extremely vulnerable.

“His mind is very, very highly motivated, but your body is not very highly conditioned yet.”

Walsh’s stint at the club has been heavily punctuated by injuries since his arrival in the summer of 2021, and this latest problem had only intensified questions over his future at the club.

Williams insists he’s an admirer of the player’s ability, and it seems likely he will be given an opportunity to prove himself before the end of the season.

“I would love to have Liam in the squad because I think he’s incredibly talented,” he added.

“I’ve been a fan of Liam as a player for a long time. I first worked with him when I was in the under-21s at Bristol City.

“He was a fantastic, gifted player. You could see how good a player he is. But I was only there a few months and he barely played because of injury.

“So I want him to be involved with us as quickly as possible. But I’m not prepared to risk him.

“Either he’s going to try so hard that he’ll put himself at risk, or he’s not going to try enough because he’s worried he’ll put me at huge risk.

“So this was the conversation we had this morning. It needs just a little bit more time, but then I think it’s going to be a really positive introduction to the squad.”

Meanwhile, Kyle Naughton is set to miss out on the trip to south Yorkshire following his hamstring injury in the South Wales derby, although there’s better news on Ben Cabango’s fitness.

“Kyle is going to be a while,” Williams added. “Ben is going to be back very soon in full training so that’s very good news.

“I think for all head coaches this weekend is a challenge because the connection between players who play regularly is important, but you also need the freshness and giving oxygen to players who are working so hard to be part of the team and help the team.

“It’s a constant struggle and you can tussle with your own mind about these things, but it is about finding that balance. We have players desperate to show what they can do and show they want to be a part of what we want to do moving forward.”