Oli set for recall

20th September
First team

Graham Potter has indicated that Oli McBurnie will be back in the Swansea City side at Middlesbrough this weekend.

McBurnie leads the scoring charts at the Liberty with four goals to his name so far this season.

But Swans boss Potter took the decision to give the Scottish international a partial rest in Tuesday’s defeat at Stoke, where he came on for the final 26 minutes.

“Oli is a fit lad and in normal circumstances he can play a lot of Championship football,” Potter said.

“But the truth is he has been playing with a cracked bone in his foot and he has also had a problem with his knee.

“He had two days of training before Nottingham Forest and he had to miss the international games, so he is not at full fitness.

“When you add it all up, it felt as if it was the right time to leave him out from the start at Stoke.

“The decision was to use him in the second half – we were actually getting him ready to come on before they scored – and he came on and showed what he can do.”

With Wilfried Bony injured and Courtney Baker-Richardson suspended, Wayne Routledge and Dan James were used as central strikers at the bet365 Stadium.

When asked if McBurnie will be back in the starting XI at Boro, Potter conceded: “You can anticipate that he will play.”