Swans handed double injury boost ahead of Huddersfield trip 

England under-21 international Wood is back in contention having missed the last two games with a calf injury.

The former Notts County boss has also revealed that winger Josh Ginnelly ‘is back on the grass’ and is working with the club’s medical staff ahead of a scheduled return to action in pre-season having spent the large majority of the season out with a ruptured achilles suffered in September. 

Ginnelly’s return will be a welcome boost for the Swans on a day where both midfielder Joe Allen and winger Przemysław Płacheta joined defender Kyle Naughton in being ruled out of action for the remaining three league matches. 

All three players are out of contract with the Swans this summer along with midfielders Jamie Paterson, Liam Walsh and forward Liam Cullen. Whilst Williams has an idea of who he would like to retain and talks have been made behind the scenes no concrete decisions have been made by any party as of yet. 

Former Norwich speedster Płacheta’s future at the club Williams says is a ‘complicated’ situation whilst the club tries to get to the bottom of the severity of the hamstring injury the Pole has incurred. 

A similar scenario faces midfielder Liam Walsh whose lack of minutes on the pitch has cast doubt on the future of a player Williams has ties to from his time at Bristol City. 

“After the last game we have had more advanced discussions on this [contracts] and there will be more news shortly,” said Williams. 

“I have a really good idea [on which players to retain]. There has been conversations on how I see things and how the football club does. If we can tie that all up together, we can make something happen. 

“He [Przemysław Płacheta] had some complications in getting some accurate feedback from his scan.  

“We are being thorough to make sure we know exactly what the issue is then we can provide a better timescale once we know. 

“Joe [Allen] is progressing well. There are no hiccups with him so far. He still has a way to go before we can get him out on the pitch, but it is all going according to plan. 

“More than likely [he won’t play before the end of the season]. We’re doing the best we can for Joe to make sure he’s in the best place he can be. 

“We are talking to Liam [Cullen]. Next time we speak we will know more about what Liam’s doing. 

“Nathan [Wood] is back in full training, Kyle’s [Naughton] recovery is on par, but he has a long way to go [and won’t play again this season]. 

“We have a complicated situation [with Liam Walsh] because he’s a really talented player. 

“We also have to bear in mind that Liam’s had a really difficult time coming back from injuries. That’s been one of the most difficult things for him, returning to play. 

“I imagine for all coaches, having a player with that talent, it’s difficult to manage them back in. You want to get them back out on the pitch. But I’ve got a big responsibility with Liam. I’ve known him for a long time. 

“I think we know a lot about him, and I’m sure we’ll get to see him on the pitch for some minutes. 

“He then has the opportunity to show his quality in the correct way and in his conditioning and training. 

“Josh [Ginnelly] has been out with the medical team which is really encouraging. All the early markers are good. 

“He will be continuing now to pre-season and then he can show us what he is all about – I have not seen him yet so I’m excited – he has explosive power and athleticism. 

“Let’s see how he recovers, and he can show us in pre-season.” 

Whilst the Swans 1-0 victory last weekend against rock-bottom Rotherham in SA1 secured that it will be a seventh successive season in the Championship next season, Williams feels there is still plenty to play for with a chance of a top-half finish at stake.  

“I want to see more of what we’ve seen in the last two performances in terms of energy levels, intensity levels and concentration,” continued Williams.

“Let’s score some more goals and keep some more clean sheets. Most importantly let’s entertain the people that go out of their way to support the club that they love. 

“We have a responsibility to the competition to make sure we turn up. There is plenty of motivation within the group to put on a good performance. 

“We know they will be fighting for their lives – that should make the game entertaining. 

“We are going to play against a team that is highly motivated, disciplined and will try to have a game plan to see if they can hurt us. 

“It’s a big game for us to see if we are moving forward or making the same mistakes. Not just winning or losing but applying yourselves correctly – that you can control. We must be ready for a tough Championship game.” 

[Lead image: Swansea City FC]