Sanches will soon be Clement as he urges

PAUL Clement has told Swansea City fans they can expect to start seeing the best of Renato Sanches with the Portugal international in contention for a recall against Leicester.

The 20-year-old missed the win over Huddersfield after picking up a thigh injury on international duty, but he has returned to training this week and is in line for selection.

With Leroy Fer suspended and head coach Clement mindful of rushing Ki Sung-yueng back into his starting line-up after four months out with a knee injury, Sanches looks set to be the man handed a start against the Foxes.

There was huge excitement when the Swans pulled off the coup of bringing the midfielder in from Bayern Munich on a season-long loan towards the end of the summer transfer window.

But he has yet to hit the sort of form that convinced the Bavarian giants to pay big money to sign him from Benfica, and saw him play an integral role in Portugal’s Euro 2016 triumph in France.

There have been glimpses of his undoubted talent, but there have also been a number of unforced errors.

However, there had been signs that Sanches was finding his feet before his injury setback.

Clement, who worked with the player at Bayern, expected it may take some time for Sanches to find his best form having not played as often as he would have liked at the Allianz Arena last season.

But some of the indications he has seen on the training ground mean the Swansea boss does not believe it will be long before his star signing hits his stride in a white shirt.

“I probably expected that (it would take him time to settle) and to be on that upward curve with his performances,” said Clement.

“The injury is a minor one, but because he was on the upward curve we did not want to risk him against Huddersfield.

“If he got an injury then he could have been out for six to eight weeks and then there’s regrets all round.

“I think his performances are picking up, he’s trained really well this week and I’ve seen some of the best things in him this week.

“Now it’s about transferring that to the game and with Leroy suspended he has a good chance to be involved in the starting XI.

“If he’s not starting he’ll be on the bench and it will be the same with Ki.

“They are good options to have and I am sure Swansea fans will see the best of Renato, for sure.

“He’s a really good player and it’s about getting him up to speed.

“He’s missed a lot of football and his confidence has been damaged. Fitness and the tactical side has dropped and we’re picking all that up now.”

And Clement has outlined the qualities fans can expect to see more of over the coming weeks.

“You see his physical attributes, he’s got strength and power,” said Clement.

“Technically he’s a midfielder who can go past someone with the ball. Some midfielders play and stay or play and go, but he can do both.

“He can go past players with or without the ball. When he gets that right foot going he’s got a thunderous shot on him.”

Swansea face a Foxes side regrouping after the unexpected sacking of Craig Shakespeare earlier this week.

Shakespeare’s time at the helm proved to be so short that despite Swansea last facing Leicester as recently as February, his entire reign as interim and full-time manager fell between that fixture and Saturday’s clash.

Swansea will be seeking back-toback league wins for the first time this season, and look to build on an improved performance last time out.

Clement felt there was plenty to be encouraged by, but insists he and his players have got their feet firmly planted on the ground, knowing how quickly the positivity of the past week can be punctured if they do not back up the Huddersfield display.

“Of course, it is important for us if we can get back-to-back wins, because the other side of that is, if you stall, you don’t get the result you want,” he said.

“You’re almost back in the same position you were. It’s come at a good time. It’s a home game, our home form has picked up, there is a question mark over their form.

“We’re going into the game with a positive outlook.

“But the players are grounded. They know it’s just one game.

“What I’m pleased about is I think they can recognise the preparation and the focus into Huddersfield and are applying it again.”