Trio's selection boost for Swansea City ahead of south Wales derby

Swansea City have been given a triple selection boost with Ryan Bennett, Olivier Ntcham and Michael Obafemi returning to full training ahead of Sunday’s south Wales derby with Cardiff.

The trio have linked up with Russell Martin’s squad as preparations continue for Sunday’s derby fixture following the international week.

Bennett and Obafemi have not featured in the last four matches, with their last outings coming in the 3-3 draw with Luton Town on September 18.

Ntcham, meanwhile, missed the 0-0 draw with Derby County before the international break following a hamstring injury sustained in the previous match at Fulham.

All three are back on the training pitch in Fairwood, giving Martin a timely boost ahead of Sunday’s fixture at the Swansea.com Stadium.

“The international week is a big period for us because it allows us to work on a lot of different things,”

“It gave a few players the chance to recover from knocks and niggles, while it was also an opportunity for us to get Michael Obafemi, Olivier Ntcham and Ryan Bennett back on the training pitch.

“Seeing them back in training is massive for us. They give us so much more strength. They are three important players who were doing well before their injuries.

“Benno is someone the fans will have seen a lot of since he arrived here, while they’ve witness Oli’s quality already.

“Mike is a player who has shown little glimpses of his talent, but he will bring a lot more. He has qualities that not many players in our squad have, so he’ll make a real difference for us.”

Ryan Manning and Ethan Laird are continuing their recovery from injuries sustained before the international break, but Martin has been hugely encouraged by the work put in during the international break.

“It was a really good week of work for us. We haven’t had a pre-season together as staff and players, so we’ve played catch up since then,” added the Swans boss.

“Ryan and Ethan have been recovering from their injuries, so it was a chance for them to recuperate.

“The boys have worked really, really hard. The improvement after the last international break was vast in terms of performance, and hopefully it will be the same this time.

“The medical team and sports science team here are fantastic, and they’ve got everyone in a really good place.”