Full steam ahead for full-backs
SWANSEA City are over their injury crisis – with Paul Clement insisting his first-choice full-backs are ready to start the survival showdown with Middlesbrough this weekend.
Swansea had been hit by the loss of in-form left-back Olsson with an ankle problem ahead of the trip to Bournemouth before the international break. And, in a further blow, Naughton failed to recover from a hamstring strain to face the Cherries having already missed the defeat to Hull the week previously.
With Angel Rangel out for the season after breaking a bone in his foot, Clement was without a recognised right-back at Bournemouth with Leroy Fer having to deputise as emergency cover in the defeat.
But, as Swansea look to bounce back from two losses on the trot with victory over struggling Boro, Clement revealed all are fit and ready with no new issues after stars returned from international duty. Jefferson Montero, Ki Sung-Yueng and Kristoffer Nordfeldt were the last to return to South Wales after the majority linked up on Wednesday, but Clement said: “Everyone is back and everyone is fit – and that is a relief after the last two games where we have people fill in and do slightly different things.
“Olsson and Naughton are now fit and we are in good shape. They are ready to start, they have trained very well, looked fit, strong and hungry.
“We have missed them because of how we have played; they have been influential and we are very happy they are back.”
Fernando Llorente is over the dead leg that saw him withdrawn early in the defeat to Hull and appeared to be hanging over him against Bournemouth.
And it is a significant boost for Clement who knows the significance of Sunday’s game, but added: “We seem to have this conversation every few weeks. Every game is important. From my first day at the club we had it against Palace, we had it against Leicester, Burnley, Hull and Bournemouth. It is big and we are going out to win it.
“But it is not a time to lose momentum and having failed to do so in the last two fixtures we need to get some points.”