Swansea head coach Steve Cooper has provided justification for Declan John's recent absence from the side after his encouraging performance against Watford in the Carabao Cup last month.
Jake Bidwell's red card against Bristol City meant John had a golden opportunity to stake a claim for the left-back spot at the Liberty Stadium, but he was omitted from Cooper's side after initially impressing in the role against Watford.
The Swans boss instead opted to name experienced full-back Kyle Naughton on the left flank for Swansea's matches against Reading and Charlton, with John missing out on a spot in the match-day squad for both matches.
However, Cooper has now revealed that John's absence was enforced, as the former Rangers man suffered an injury following his strong display at Vicarage Road to rule him out of Swansea's more recent matches.
Bidwell is now back in contention for Swansea's match against Stoke on the weekend after serving his three-match suspension, and Cooper has now admitted his disappointment for John whose injury prevented him from competing for a place in the league side.
"We've got four full-backs that can perform at a really good level. Kyle [Naughton], Connor [Roberts] and Jake [Bidwell] have already shown that," Cooper told Wales Online.
"Dec not so much but if called upon I know he can play. Unfortunately after his good performance against Watford and Jake getting suspended he picked up a knock and it ruled him out because he really would have been in contention for the game against Reading and if you do well you keep your place.
"I'm really disappointed for Dec, he's a really good lad and such a good professional. He trains really well every day. It's not that he isn't in my plans which you might assume with the minutes he's had, that isn't the case."
John joined Swansea on transfer deadline day in the summer of 2018, but he has so far only managed to make 16 appearances for the Liberty Stadium outfit.
The Verdict
John's injury problem came at the worst possible time for the defender as Bidwell's suspension meant he could have finally been awarded the chance to try and translate his Carabao Cup performance into the league.
The fact he was not even able to challenge for a spot in the side against Reading and Charlton will have come as a huge blow to the defender, and he now may have missed his chance with Bidwell back in the side for the Stoke match.
John has shown glimpses of his quality during his time at Swansea so far, but a mixture of injuries and impressive form from the club's other full-backs has severely limited his appearances.
If the 24-year-old cannot break into Cooper's side by January, it would be no surprise to see him leave on loan in the transfer window so he can pick up some much-needed regular game time.
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