Your Swansea City headlines on Friday, October 14.
Pundits' glowing plaudits
Former Wales forward Iwan Roberts believes Swansea are as good as any team in the Championship.
The Swans go into this weekend's clash with Burnley having won four successive matches in a run that has seen the club shoot up to sixth in the league standings. And Roberts believes Russell Martin's men stand a real chance of challenging for a top six place this term.
READ MORE: 'I love the club' - Matty Sorinola's Swansea City hope and the special feeling he had at Watford
"I've been so impressed over the last few weeks," Roberts said on EJFOF. "I think, at the minute, you're playing as well as any team in the division.
"I look at this Championship and I don't think there's a standout team. I think you've got as good a chance as anybody.
"I think this Championship is wide open. You're as good as any team in this league. You might not have the strength-in-depth of the other sides, but from one to 11, I think you've got a great chance."
Danny Gabbidon echoed the sentiments of Roberts and stated that the Swans are far better balanced now than they have been at any other stage under the current coaching regime.
"Me and the big man (Roberts) were at the Watford game where Swansea nicked it with that ridiculous amount of added time," he said.
"Of all the Championship teams I've seen this season, I think Swansea are the team that have impressed me the most. I was really impressed with how they played [at Watford]. The improvement from the start of the season and from last season, you're scoring goals now and I think defensively you've sorted that out a bit as well. The balance looks better."
Double injury boost
Liam Cullen is available for Swansea's clash with Burnley after recovering from a shoulder injury.
The striker was withdrawn just minutes after entering the pitch during his side's 1-0 triumph over Queens Park Rangers in early September. He opted against having surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder, and he has now made a full recovery.
"Culls is back in the squad for this weekend. He's been great in training," Martin said of the academy product.
Meanwhile, Liam Walsh could return to action before the conclusion of the current campaign. The central midfielder was widely expected to depart Swansea in the summer, although he was condemned to another long stint out of action after rupturing his Achilles tendon in pre-season.
There were concerns that Walsh would miss the entirety of the 2022/23 season, although the club's medical staff are hopeful that he can be available well before May.
"Walshy is long-term, but he's doing great, it's nice to see him out of his boot and doing stuff in the gym," Martin told WalesOnline. "He's working really hard and the lads have been brilliant with him. It's about keeping him well mentally and physically.
"We're probably looking after January or February. We can't rush that, it's a big injury. He's a top guy. The medical team and Rhys Owen in particular are working really hard with him to make sure he's in good shape."
Martin outlines plan for young duo
Swansea will monitor the progress of Wasiri Williams and Lincoln Mcfayden over the coming weeks before deciding where the pair will end up in the New Year.
The defensive duo both missed the early stages of the campaign due to injury but have returned to the club's Under-21 set-up of late. Williams scored twice as the Swans were beaten 4-3 by rivals Cardiff City in midweek, a game in which Mcfayden made his long-awaited return to action.
And while loan exits for the pair in January are not out of the question, Martin admits both players will need to be given time to find their feet under Jon Grey and Anthony Wright following lengthy spells on the sidelines.
"I'm really pleased for both of them that they're back," Martin told WalesOnline. "Lincoln was brilliant [against Cardiff] considering it's his first minutes for a while. I think it's great for the 21s group to have them both back because they'll be big players for them.
"Now it's up to them to try and force their way to be in with our group as quickly as possible. They've both been injured for quite a while so it depends how they react between now and then. The same as Azeem [Abdulai]."
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