Carlos Carvalhal praised debutant Connor Roberts in the aftermath of Swansea City's 0-0 FA Cup draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and the youngster could be primed for a first Premier League start on Saturday afternoon, as the division's bottom club make the long trek to St James' Park to take on Newcastle United.
Installed at right-back against Wolves for his first Swans appearance, Roberts produced a solid display, and with Kyle Naughton suspended for the trip to the Magpies, and Angel Rangel an injury doubt, it could give an opportunity to Welsh-born Roberts to be handed a starting berth, as he looks to try and secure a place in the first-team squad, as Swansea look to manufacture their way out of the relegation zone.
The 22-year-old defender has league experience having made over 40 appearances for Yeovil Town, while loan spells at Bristol Rovers and Middlesbrough have handed him valuable game time in the professional sphere, but with Carvalhal praising his performance at the weekend against the Championship high-flyers, then he could find himself drafted into the starting line-up at the weekend.
When asked about Roberts' display, Carvalhal said: ""I am very happy with him, we are looking to those boys and some of them have been training with us," he said. "We are happy to put them in the team and I was more than happy to give a chance to Connor."
Currently four points away from safety, Swansea have struggled for any sort of consistency all season, and they will hope that they can turn a corner in the coming weeks, and if Roberts can step up to the mark, then that could be a notable addition to the squad, as the Welsh outfit look to pull themselves out of the drop zone.
After the draw with Wolves, Roberts told Swansea City's club website, "Every boy dreams of playing in the Premier League. “My first game for the Swans last weekend was a huge moment in my career and I was happy with my performance against Wolves. “Hopefully I can now kick on and build on that in the coming weeks and achieve my next goal, which is to play in the Premier League."
“I feel I am in contention. I just have to wait and see if the gaffer chooses me. I know I am doing all I can in training and hopefully I can get on the pitch on Saturday, ” added the youngster, who is trying to emulate Ben Davies, who came through the academy at Swansea City, and is now a key figure in Tottenham Hotspur's defensive setup.
With Newcastle United having picked up seven points from their last four Premier League matches, then it's going to be a tough test for a Swansea City side searching for only their fifth win of the Premier League season, but if Roberts can bring a freshness to a squad that has been struggling, and Carvalhal can make some notable signings in January, then Swans fans will have something to feel positive about, and for Roberts, Saturday could bring the start of a positive journey in the top-flight.
