Swansea City manager Steve Cooper has revealed that he is under no obligation to play the loan signings brought into the club this season.

The Swans boss has come in for criticism in recent weeks over his side's poor run of form as he persists with the same model that he has all season.

But he has insisted that no part of that is down to the loan players in his side having an obligation to play inserted into the deal from their parent clubs.

"We have a few loan players here, that would not be right for the football club to do that," he told his pre-match press conference on Thursday, reported by BBC Sport.

"With the young players, it is up and down.

"They can have a really good game and make a mistake that can cost a goal or miss a chance, and that can be the narrative."

QUIZ: Can you remember the scores from Swansea’s first 12 games of this season?

Chelsea players Conor Gallagher and Marc Guehi and Liverpool striker Rhian Brewster are free men who have been regulars in recent weeks, with the latter netting three times in seven games since arriving in January.

Swansea have not won any of their last five Championship matches as their bid to win a place in the end of season play-offs continues to weaken.

They currently sit in tenth place, slipping below arch-rivals Cardiff for the first time following their 4-4 draw with Hull City, with a win against relegation-threatened Huddersfield Town this weekend now looking like a must.

The verdict

In fairness to Cooper, I am not sure that it has been the players brought in on loan who have particularly let him or his side down this season.

The reality for Swansea is that they were largely overachieving in the opening months of the season. Yes, the league is weaker this season, but is their squad really better than 18 other sides in the division? I don't think so.