Still question marks over some of Swans’ loanees
SWANSEA City return to training this week ahead of the 2020-21 Championship campaign.
The Swans will kick off their second season under Steve Cooper on September 12, just 45 days after their play-off semi-final loss to Brentford at Griffin Park.
Having been given three weeks off to rest following what was a gruelling end to the protracted 2019-20 season, players will undergo fitness and Covid-19 tests in the middle of this week before making a full return to training on Friday.
New signing Korey Smith is among those who will report to Fairwood as Swansea step up their preparations for the new campaign.
And it has also been revealed that Smith’s fellow summer capture Freddie Woodman will also be involved when the Swans train this week.
The goalkeeper has rejoined the Swans on a season-long loan deal from Newcastle United having signed a fresh long-term contract with the Magpies.
Woodman suffered a hip injury in the dying stages of Swansea’s 1-0 defeat to Leeds United at the Liberty Stadium in July. It meant he was unavailable for the Swans’ final five games of the 2019-20 campaign.
However, Cooper has revealed that Woodman is fit to return to action having fully recovered from that injury.
“He is fine, I spoke to him a lot over the break and I think he has been diving around his back garden from what I can gather,” said the Swansea head coach. “So he’ll be ready to go when we come back in.”
Those sent out on loan last term, including Kristoffer Peterson, Barrie McKay and Declan John, will be back with their Swansea team-mates having previously been given their own personal training programmes.
As for those who joined Swansea on loan, they have returned to their parent clubs.
Ben Wilmot is set to remain with Watford while Conor Gallagher is expected to attract plenty of interest following his stints with Charlton and the Swans last term.
But it seems Swansea have a wait on their hands when it comes to Rhian Brewster and Marc Guehi.
Brewster is currently training with parent club Liverpool in Salzburg, with Jurgen Klopp keen to cast his eye over the Englishman before deciding where his short-term future lies.
As for Guehi, his future lies in the hands of Chelsea, who are currently on a break due to their recent involvement in the Champions League and FA Cup.
In January the Swans agreed to have the central defender for the second half of the 2019-20 season as well as for the duration of next term.
Swansea do not anticipate there being any issues over a potential return to the Liberty Stadium for
Guehi, although Chelsea have the right to keep the defender at Stamford Bridge should they wish.
It means fans are set to have something of an anxious wait ahead of them when it comes to the possibility of Guehi and Brewster playing for Swansea again.
As for Aldo Kalulu, Swansea are not expected to take up the optionto-buy clause included in the deal they agreed with Basel for the attacker last summer.