Swansea City: Luke Williams' Portsmouth snub points toward January call | OneFootball

Nelson Abbey has struggled for minutes at Swansea City and wasn't in Luke Williams' squad for their game against Portsmouth

Swansea City looked to have pulled off an impressive signing in the summer transfer window when they completed a deal to sign Nelson Abbey on loan from Olympiacos, but the 21-year-old has endured a tough spell in south Wales.

Abbey looked set to add depth to Luke Williams' squad with only Ben Cabango, Harry Darling and Kristian Pedersen as feasible options in the heart of Swansea's defence, but he's yet to play a single minute in the league for the Swans.

The former Reading man had been a mainstay on the bench without making an appearance prior to their most recent fixture with Portsmouth, but he missed out on the matchday squad altogether, and now the writing looks on the wall for his future in SA1.

Recent snub points to a January Swansea City exit for Nelson Abbey

Abbey had amassed plenty of first-team experience with Reading in League One, even skippering the Royals at times, and supporters were gutted when he left for Olympiacos in January.

Having been signed by a side that would go on to win the Europa Conference League, it's clear that Abbey has plenty of potential, so the Jack Army were delighted when it was revealed he would be spending a season on loan at the Swansea.com Stadium.

The 21-year-old made his debut soon after arriving at the end of August, but he struggled in a 1-0 loss to Wycombe Wanderers and was hauled off after 58 minutes in what was his first and last appearance for the club so far.

When quizzed by Wales Online about Abbey's one and only game for Swansea, Williams said: "I threw him in at the deep end, and it was a sticky night against a team that turned out to be a really good side at their level. "They gave us a really tough game and we were disjointed that night.

"He'd only been at the club a couple of days, and I threw him straight in. Then he would have had another opportunity to go in, but like I said, those guys have been first class and have deserved to keep their shirts."

Given the fact he's only played 58 minutes of football for Swansea and didn't even make the matchday squad last time out, it looks almost guaranteed that Olympiacos will recall him in January, and they certainly won't be best pleased by his lack of game time.

It's a shame that things haven't worked out for Abbey in south Wales, and he's clearly a player with potential, but he shouldn't be too disheartened by the way that things have worked out for him, as that's just how things go sometimes, and he'll be better for the experience.

Harry Darling and Ben Cabango have formed a formidable partnership in the heart of Swansea City's defence, and this has meant that Abbey hasn't been able to get a look in.

Cabango has played every minute in the Championship this season, while Darling has missed just 30, but crucially, when he was taken off, he was replaced by Cyrus Christie playing out of position rather than Abbey, another factor which indicates he has no future at the club past January.

It's unfortunate for Abbey that the two starting centre-backs have been in exceptional form this season, and Williams has recognised that the form of Darling and Cabango has made it hard for him, while also praising the way he's conducted himself.

Williams said: "Nelson's been absolutely first class. That sounds so easy or cheap. I don't know. I can't show you the training footage. I can't sit here and show you the footage and the way he conducts himself every day. It's ridiculous. I see it every day.

"He's giving a hell of a lot to the squad because he trains tough every day, so when we play 11 v 11 we don't have Harry and Ben and the other team has no one trying.

"He's there. He's athletic, and he's always bright every day. He's given a huge amount to the squad without being able to contribute too much on the pitch because the manager doesn't pick him even though he's a good player.

"Harry and Ben keep playing too well and don't give me an opportunity to drop them because they're so good.

"So it's the life of a footballer, sometimes there's a perfect storm of the players in front of you playing so well and don't pick up an injury or suspension, so then you can be doing so well and not get your chance.

"But he's going to have a really good career, and I'm really happy he's with us. I really am. But he's really unfortunate because he's a player who needs to play minutes on the pitch to be happy and content for his career at this stage."

Williams himself has acknowledged the fact that Abbey needs to be playing at this stage of his career, so it certainly won't be a surprise if he's already resigned to him being recalled in January.

Swansea don't have a huge squad, but with versatile experienced defenders like Kristian Pedersen and Cyrus Christie in the mix, Abbey isn't needed as cover, and he doesn't look like breaking into the starting XI any time soon.

It just hasn't worked for Abbey in terms of playing time in SA1, and a return to Olympiacos in January looks inevitable now.