Bersant Celina has been handed the perfect chance to prove Pep Guardiola was wrong to offer him no role without even an audition. The silky-skilled Kosovan was given just four games to justify himself at City – all of them in the months prior to the Spaniard’s arrival in 2016.

Swansea City’s FA Cup hero Daniel James insists he wants to sign a new contract with the club. The Wales winger – who would have been sold to Leeds United on deadline day for £7.5m if the buyers had offered more money up front – has started talks on a new contract at the Liberty Stadium. James made that Leeds valuation look inadequate with a stunning display in the Swans’ 4-1 victory over Brentford that included a brilliant individual goal.

Graham Potter insisted the “numbers were too low” over Leeds’ unsuccessful attempt to sign Daniel James as the Swansea City wing delivered his club into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. James scored a breathtaking individual goal as the Swans swept aside Brentford 4-1 at the Liberty Stadium. The Wales wing ran 70 yards before making it 2-1 as his strike plus an own goal by Brentford keeper Luke Daniels and others from Bersant Celina and George Byers did for the Bees.

Swansea City are sweating on the fitness of star striker Oli McBurnie ahead of their FA Cup fifth round clash with Brentford on Sunday. The Scottish international was only well enough to play for the final 30 minutes in the 2-1 defeat at Leeds United earlier in the week, but appears crucial to Swansea’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals for only the fifth time in their history. “Oli has had a couple of bouts of flu and has taken his time to get over them. He had a couple of days in bed, has been on antibiotics and has felt really low,” said Potter.

Graham Potter admitted Swansea City were able to do no more than “dig in” against a Leeds United team that threatened to bury them. The Swans eventually lost 2-1 at Elland Road on Wednesday night, a lucky escape in some regards given how dominant the home team were. Swans manager Potter praised his team for their resolve, but the defeat now leaves them seven points adrift of the play-of places, which will rise to 10 points if those clubs win their game in hand. “Leeds have got as good a chance of getting promoted as anybody from what I’ve seen,” said Potter.

Swansea City Supporters Trust have angrily denied claims they are undermining attempts to reach a settlement in the long running dispute over the sale of the club three years ago. Lawyers acting for those who sold shares to the club’s American owners have claimed the Trust have twice pulled out of mediation talks. But the Trust have rebuffed the claims by suggesting the discussions were pointless because owners Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan were not going to attend.

George Byers has no doubts the same rapid footwork that takes Daniel James away from defenders will enable him to dodge any bullets at Leeds United this week. There are some Leeds fans who believes James should have done more to agitate and angle for his proposed move from Swansea City before it collapsed at the 11th hour on deadline day. The Wales winger sat in a room at Elland Road, waiting for a phone call to green light his £5m move. Instead, the call never came as former chairman Huw Jenkins made the last significant decision of his 17-year tenure which was to pull the plug on the transfer.

Daniel James will be sent to Leeds next week – provided he is fit, Swansea City manager Graham Potter has insisted. Wales winger James – who seemed destined to be sold on transfer deadline day, until he sat in a room at Elland Road waiting for a call that never came – made his first appearance since that fiasco in the Swans’ 1-0 win over Millwall. He will make his next away at Leeds on Wednesday, according to Potter who says only injury or fatigue would result in the player’s absence.

Cardiff City are intent on taking a step towards winning the Professional Development League Under-18 South title when they entertain Bristol City in a Severnside derby on Saturday. The young Bluebirds take on the Robins at Cardiff International Sports Campus, Leckwith (February 9, 11am). Cardiff are three points clear at the top of their division […]

Dan James will play at Elland Road next week – for Swansea City against the Leeds United team he looked set to join on transfer deadline day last week. The Welsh international wing was rested from Swansea’s 2-0 defeat at Bristol City last weekend to get over the disappointment of not making a £10m switch to the Championship title contenders after passing a medical at the club.

Huw Jenkins has said he feels he was made a scapegoat for many of the problems at Swansea City. The former chairman – who stood down last weekend after 17 years in the role – believes his position made him an obvious target when the club slid towards relegation from the Premier League. Jenkins walked away just two days after a fraught transfer deadline day for the Championship club during which three players left the Liberty Stadium and Daniel James came close to joining Leeds United.

The Bluebirds will face Swansea City in the Welsh Youth Cup semi-finals. Cardiff City scored 10 goals against Llanelli in a one-sided last eight tie, while the Swans defeated Merthyr Town 5-1 at Landore. In the second semi-final The New Saints will play Cardiff Met or Llandudno, whose scheduled match was postponed because of bad […]