U23s must continue to prove themselves

Cameron Toshack wants Swansea City Under-23s to prove their worth in the second half of the season as they get set to return to Premier League 2 action against Chelsea this Saturday (2pm).

Successive victories against Arsenal, Sunderland and Liverpool before Christmas saw the Swans rise to fifth in the division one table.

Toshack and Gary Richards have returned to their under-23s coaching roles following their temporary spell working with the first team over the Christmas period.

And with 10 league games to come in PL2 this season, Toshack believes there is still plenty for the young Swans to achieve in 2018.

“The squad definitely upped their game before Christmas,” the under-23s coach said.

“Now we must continue to build on the progress we made and make sure we move forward.

“Our young players only have 10 league games left to prove themselves. The opportunity for them to get game-time and continue to develop is getting shorter.

“Every game they play from this point is a big opportunity and must be taken. It is key the team show what they have learnt and apply themselves in the right way in the games going forward.”

An Oli McBurnie hat-trick helped the under-23s secure a 3-1 victory over Chelsea when the sides met at Aldershot in October.

But Toshack admits the striker’s impressive form, with 13 goals for the development side, means he is likely to be with Carlos Carvalhal’s first team this weekend as the side face Wolves at Molineux in the third round of the FA Cup.

“We are all pleased to see that Oli has taken that step up,” Toshack added.

“That is the direction we want all our development players to take, so it is great to see him get more opportunities at that level.

“We have plenty of options in all areas of the pitch, but this weekend will be an opportunity for players to stake a claim.”

Despite receiving red cards in the Premier League International Cup defeat against Athletic Bilbao in December, Jordan Garrick and Adnan Maric are available for selection as their the bans are not in force for league games.

Entry to watch the game at Landore this Saturday is FREE (2pm). Fans are reminded there is no parking at the facility.