Signed by former boss Michael Duff in the August transfer window for a reported fee of £2 million from the Potters, the Swans left-back has been one of the more consistent performers in an underwhelming campaign.
With five assists to his name joining into the attack from the back in 31 starts, Williams would loath to be without the 24-year-old forced off in the 2-0 loss against Middlesbrough on Saturday.
A calf injury, however, after an innocuous challenge from Boro midfielder Isaiah Jones is likely to mean the former Hull trainee is likely to be sidelined for this week’s home double-header against Stoke City, and a doubt for the clash against rock-bottom Rotherham United on Saturday.
“I think it was a contact injury as he got kicked, so hopefully it is not a ligament injury or anything like this,” said Williams following the game.
“He is tough, so I hope he is going to come back really quick. He is a guy who we miss a lot when he is not on the pitch.”
Without Tymon, the Swans are likely to be forced into a reshuffle with youngster Azeem Abdulai a possibility to come into the fray as he did on Teeside. Williams though does have options in the position with both Josh Key and Bashir Humphries able to play on the left-hand side allowing a return for Ben Cabango into the heart of defense.
Already missing Kyle Naughton and Joe Allen for the crunch six-pointer, Williams may look to Welsh international Cabango to come back into the starting eleven to add a much-needed experienced head into the proceedings with centre-back Harry Darling an option then to shift across to fill the right-back birth.
Still requiring at least one more victory from their five remaining Championship matches to more or less guarantee safety, Williams’ side face off against a Stoke outfit scrapping for their lives. Having picked up 11 points from their last seven outings, the Potters lie just one point worse off than the Swans in the standings.
Back-to-back scoreless defeats against QPR and Boro’ have left the Swans in 15th place and five points above the relegation zone with the former Notts County boss seething after their latest defeat the eighth in the Londoner’s 15 games in charge.
Williams made his feelings pretty clear that he will not stand for another abject performance, whilst defender Darling believes the players need to take responsibility for their recent downturn in form.
The former MK Dons centre-half the scorer of a late equaliser in the Swans 1-1 draw at the Britannia Stadium in the reverse fixture back in December, admitting that they must raise their game against Steven Schumacher’s improving side to get anything from the match.
“We need to start repaying the gaffer with better performances because they haven’t been good enough,” said Darling.
“We’ve got two home games next so we really need to give performances that the fans can be proud of.
“They haven’t seen that since the Cardiff game, and that’s something we need to show because we know it’s not been good enough and we conceded two sloppy goals to lose [against Middlesbrough].
“It was one of those games where there wasn’t a lot of intensity to it, and we’ve got to bring that to the game.
“That’s something we haven’t had in the last couple of matches, it really was a disappointing result.
“We need to be more clinical at the top of the pitch, make the most of our crossing opportunities and create better chances for our strikers – I think that really lets us down, but the goals we conceded were sloppy.
“If you concede goals like that you will always give yourself an uphill task.”
[Lead image: Swansea City FC]
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