Renato Sanches has not played his last game for Swansea City, manager Carlos Carvalhal has insisted.
Bayern Munich’s on loan Euro 2016 star Sanches has been back home in Portugal trying to recover from a hamstring injury and has not played for the Swans since January – sparking rumours that his one-season spell at the club is effectively over.
But Carvalhal insists the 20-year-old has only flown south for the benefit of warmer weather and is expected to return to Wales later this month.
Sanches lasted only 32 minutes at Meadow Lane against Notts County in the FA Cup on January 27 after suffering a similar injury in the previous round at Wolves three weeks earlier.
But Carvalhal, who takes his team to fellow strugglers Huddersfield Town on Saturday, said: “I believe Renato will be available to start training and be ready this month.
“He has missed a lot of weeks to be in a normal physical condition. It will take a bit of time for him to try and help the team but I believe he will be ready to be involved in the 18.”
Sanches has spent part of his rehabilitation in Portugal after he requested to return home. Carvalhal said Swansea agreed to that request because the club felt the warmer weather would speed up Sanches’ recovery time.
“He did one part of the regeneration here and one part of the recovery he requested to go to Portugal because of the weather.
“The weather can help a lot with this muscular problem, it is more difficult to recover in the cold. We decided that part of the recovery he could go there because it is a standard thing.
“We agreed that he can be near the family in different weather to try and be 100 per cent quicker. But he will be here now to do the final part of the recovery.”
Swansea climbed five places to 13th after beating West Ham 4-1 last weekend – their biggest win of the season – and moved above Huddersfield on goal difference.
That represented another significant step for a team who were bottom of the table and five points adrift of safety when Carvalhal took over at the end of December.
“When I arrived people said that to stay in the Premier League – like I expect – will be some kind of miracle,’ Carvalhal said.
“But this is not something that is divine, it is part of this world and about hard work.
“We are fighting and we have used a lot of water to put things in a good way.
“But it is like a forest where the fire can start again if you do not check for it.”
Swansea expect veteran midfielder Leon Britton, who returned as a substitute against West Ham after a four-month absence, to shrug off a twinge in his back and take his place in the squad.
