Swansea City defender Joel Latibeaudiere sends Norwich City warning | OneFootball

Both the Swans and the Canaries have had a four-week break due to the 2022 World Cup.

Russell Martin will be hoping his side can get back to winning ways when they return to action, as the Swans entered the break without a win in five league games. This run appeared after Martin’s men had dispatched local rivals Cardiff City 2-0 in October, their last win in the Championship.

The Welsh side have made a strong start to the 2022/23 season, as they sit just outside the play-offs on goal difference, five points adrift of third-place Blackburn Rovers and seven behind second-place Sheffield United.

Ahead of this weekend’s game, Swansea defender Joel Latibeaudiere has warned Norwich that his side are determined to “hit the ground running” on Saturday.

The defender has had his own struggles this season as he’s had to deal with shoulder and hand injuries that have stopped and started his season; therefore, when the Championship came to a halt, the 22-year-old would have been more than happy to continue playing.

However, Latibeaudiere has also recognised the importance of the break for the team, as they had played 11 times in 42 days before the World Cup. Now, after a week of work in Scotland, the 22-year-old wants the Swans to continue the sort of run that saw them take 22 points from their previous dozen games.

Latibeaudiere told Swansea’s official website: “For myself, I just wanted to keep going rather than for the season to stop, but I think the break has been a good thing for the team.

“We have done a lot of work, and we are determined to be ready to hit the ground running.

“There are goals we set ourselves as a squad within each section of the season, we played really well in the friendlies we had against top-flight teams, and we need to take the best of those performances into this next stage.

“It was a good trip to Scotland; the facilities were great, and I think everyone has come away from it really hungry to get going again.”

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The Verdict

It seems the Swans are desperate to get back to winning ways in their first game after the break.

For a player like Latibeaudiere, who has seen his start to the season impacted by injury, the World Cup will have come at the wrong time.

However, like the defender says, the break has given the team a well-needed rest and has left manager Russell Martin with more time on the training pitch as they prepare for the second half of the season.

This break is unusual in a football season, so this chance has given managers more time on the training ground to work on things that may not have gone so well in the first part of the campaign.

Swansea will be hoping this break has recharged their batteries and that they can have a strong finish to the season, while Latibeaudiere will be hoping he can remain fit and play an important part for the Swans from now on.