Following an underwhelming start to the 2021/22 campaign, it will be interesting to see whether Swansea City are able to get back on track this weekend when they face Hull City in the Championship.

Having opted to draft in Russell Martin as Steve Cooper's successor, the Jacks are still adapting to life under the guidance of their new manager.

Currently 19th in the Championship, Swansea will leapfrog Hull in the standings if they pick up all three points in-front of their own supporters.

One of the players who will be determined to force his way into the club's plans for the immediate future is Morgan Whittaker.

The 20-year-old was on the verge of leaving the Swansea.com Stadium last month after attracting a great deal of interest from Lincoln City.

However, a temporary deal involving the League One outfit fell through on transfer deadline day.

Whilst Whittaker has yet to score in the third-tier for Swansea this season, he did manage to showcase his talent in the League Cup last month as he netted a hat-trick in his side's 4-1 victory over Plymouth Argyle.

Making reference to the winger's current situation, Martin has admitted that he will be looking into the possibility of loaning Whittaker out next year if he cannot guarantee him regular first-team football.

Speaking to Wales Online about the former Derby County man, the Swansea boss said: "He’s trained really well and he’s part of a long-term plan for this club.

"He knows the things we think he needs to improve on to play regularly in this team.

"If there comes a point where the best thing for Morgan is to go out and play games like Kyle Joseph and Ollie Cooper have done, that's what he'll do.

"At this minute of time, we feel the best thing for him is to be here, be part of it and train every single day and find out where his 100% is."

The Verdict

When you consider that Whittaker has yet to start a game for Swansea this season, sending him to Lincoln on a temporary basis may have been a shrewd move by Martin as the winger may have gone on to feature regularly for the League One side.

However, with Whittaker now set to stay in Wales for the foreseeable future, it will be fascinating to see whether he is able to make a positive impact in the second-tier.

During his career to date, the winger has struggled for consistency at this level as he only managed to find the back of the net on two occasions in 40 Championship appearances.

If Whittaker is unable to pick up his performance levels in the coming months, it wouldn't be at all surprising if Martin does indeed decide to loan him during the January transfer window in order to prevent the winger's career from stalling.