Paul Clement insists he still has faith in Swansea City’s record £15.5m signing Borja Baston as fitness fears continue over Fernando Llorente.
The Swans head coach has admitted Llorente is unlikely to start against Tottenham on Wednesday night due to the ankle injury which forced the Spanish striker to miss Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Middlesbrough.
Llorente has become a vital figure in the club’s bid to escape relegation from the Premier League, underlined by his 11-goal contribution.
In contrast, his fellow Spaniard Borja has managed just 39 minutes in the 11 matches played since Clement’s arrival and has contributed just one solitary goal all season.
Borja remained on the bench on Sunday as Swansea failed to break the deadlock, but Clement insisted: “I have faith in Borja, he would not be on the bench if I did not.
“I think he can have an impact, but I have to decide if guys on bench can make a difference. Borja is training well and Oli McBurnie was involved again and they have to be ready for the opportunity and that could be Wednesday or Saturday.”
Asked whether the 24-year-old former Atletico Madrid striker’s failure to make it off the bench hinted at a lack of confidence on the manager’s part, Clement added: “You could pick that decision out, but I did not make any changes in other positions, either.
“At half-time we spoke about what we could do and we were always thinking about potential changes. That went on all the way until the final five minutes.
“We were close to doing something but based on what I saw we were tight at the back and creating enough chances and getting into good areas, so that is the reason I did not change. Sometimes you can think you made a mistake, but in this instance I feel comfortable.”
Clement is hopeful Llorente can still play some part against Spurs. But even if the former World Cup winner fails to make it, Clement insists the injury will not prove long-term in the context of the club’s eight-match run-in.
“Llorente is still touch and go for this game. It is possible and I cannot say more than that. He has responded well to treatment.
“Wednesday is going to be tight but it is possible. I think the weekend is more realistic. It won’t drag on, it is a minor thing. He was comfortable to train with it, but it has settled down and hopefully he will be back shortly.
“It will be difficult for him to start on Wednesday. I don’t think he would be 100 per cent fit as he has not been training. We have to look at him maybe making an impact from the bench.”
The momentum brought by Clement’s arrival at the Liberty Stadium appears to have stalled. After winning four of the first six matches since becoming their third manager of the season, the team has taken only one point from the last nine on offer.
But Clement insists the drift is not fatal and that one good result will turn things around.
“It is about one positive result. The point we got on Sunday is one I hope is very important.
“A win can come when you don’t expect it. At Liverpool no-one expected that but we performed and we need to approach it like that. Why can’t it come on Wednesday?”
