Your Swansea City headlines for Thursday, April 28.
Bennett told he can leave
Ryan Bennett has been told he can leave Swansea this summer.
The defender was a regular under Russell Martin in the opening half of the campaign but has fallen behind others in the pecking order since the turn of the year. His last appearance came in the 5-1 loss to Fulham on March 8 while he has been omitted from the last 10 matchday squads.
Martin confirmed the centre-back has been deemed surplus to requirements. "Ryan knows where we're at," said the head coach. "We had a really good chat about it. He’s not part of our plans moving forward. He knows that.
"To play this way you have to be all in. It’s difficult for some people. He got into really good form then came out of the team and struggled to find it again. In his absence the guys have accelerated their growth.
"There’s lots that comes into it outside of football. He’s aware of where he’s at. He trains hard and stays fit, but we’ll assess what happens this summer. That’s why he’s not on the bench and we can’t bring him on when Ben Cabango goes off [against Bournemouth]."
When asked if Bennett will leave this summer, Martin responded: "I think it’s best for everyone, really. I think finances will dictate that, what options Benno has and what finance is made available to us.
"It’s evolving and changing. The players know clarity is the best way. Benno’s really aware of his situation. He continues to train well which is what you need from an experienced pro."
Bennett's Swansea contract expires in the summer of 2023. The 32-year-old has made 49 appearances for the Swans since joining from Wolves in 2020.
Injury latest
Olivier Ntcham is expected to be available for Swansea's clash with Nottingham Forest, although Jamie Paterson will continue to be assessed ahead of the game at The City Ground.
The attacking duo were absent from the squad for Tuesday's 3-3 draw with Bournemouth due to injury. And Martin gave a full update on the pair in his pre-match press conference at Fairwood on Thursday.
"I think Oli will be back," said the head coach. "Pato we’ll have to assess day by day. He had a down day yesterday after working on Tuesday.
"He wasn’t match ready so it was just about getting him back there. We’ll have to see how he comes through today and tomorrow. It’s just niggling on a little bit longer than we expected but I think Oli will be back which will be a bonus."
Ben Cabango will miss out at Forest after sustaining an ankle injury. He is expected to be sidelined for between eight and 10 weeks. You can read the full story on the Wales defender here.
U23s blow two-goal advantage
Swansea City's Under-23s let a two-goal lead slip as they drew 2-2 with Wigan Athletic's young guns.
Cameron Evans gave Kris O'Leary's side an early lead at the DW Stadium before he double his side's advantage from the penalty spot on 52 minutes after Kyrell Wilson was fouled in the penalty area. But the game spun on its head after Azeem Abdulai was shown a straight red card for a foul on Baba Adeeko.
Charlie Hughes struck just three minutes after the Swans were reduced to 10 men, and he added a second in the latter stages to ensure the points were shared.
What will the score be when Swansea travel to Nottingham Forest? Have your say in our comments section here.
Martin wary of Forest threat
Russell Martin says Steve Cooper has done a "brilliant" job since taking charge of Nottingham Forest earlier on in the season.
The City Ground outfit propped up the Championship table when they made the decision to axe Chris Hughton. And they are now in contention for automatic promotion from the Championship following a remarkable run under former Swansea boss Cooper.
The Welshman locks horns with his former club this weekend as his side bid to leapfrog Bournemouth into runner-up spot in the second tier. But Martin admits he's relishing the task of toppling Cooper's men as Swansea bid to extend their nine-game unbeaten record.
"They’ve got a really strong squad and they recruited well in January," said Martin. "I think Steve’s done a brilliant job since he’s gone in there. They have some outstanding players at that level with athleticism.
"It’s going to be tough. They’ve been on an incredible run. They possess real threats in certain areas. We’ll be aware of that. I’m really looking forward to it."
