Swansea boosted for West Brom trip as Joel Latibeaudiere returns in rapid time
Swansea City defender Joel Latibeaudiere will be available to face West Brom on Saturday after recovering from an injury in rapid time.
The 22-year-old suffered a shoulder injury in August after starting the first few games of the season and was expected to miss three to six months of the season as a result.
But after an incredible turnaround, he is available for selection when Russell Martin’s Swans head to The Hawthorns on Saturday, hoping to go back to South Wales with all three points.
“Joel Latibeaudiere is back in the squad, and he has been training for a couple of weeks,” Martin said, as quoted by Birmingham Live.
“I think it’s just testament to his character, it could have been a long injury. He looks like he’s never been away. He’s become a really important player.”
Typical Baggies luck
It seems like every injured player in the league miraculously returns to fitness just before they are due to take on West Brom but that should just add fuel to the fire for Steev Bruce and his players.
Latibeaudiere has done remarkably well to recover from what could have been a year-ending injury in such a short space of time and credit to him for that but Albion would have liked it to be just a couple of days later.
Regardless of the 22-year-old former Manchester City youth player’s availability, the boss should expect his side to have enough in the tank to win this game, especially at home.
Martin’s Swansea side are very good on the ball and will have plenty of possession but they have struggled to convert all that ball into goals and therefore results.
The same could be said of West Brom, admittedly, but they do at least have two strikers with great goal-scoring records and players that can create chances, all they need to do is put one or two away.
In other West Brom news, Ally Robertson wants just one thing from the Swans’ visit to the Midlands and it isn’t really a big ask for Bruce’s men.