Swansea City head coach Vitor Matos has said there is still time for Jeremy Monga to make an impression at the club, but has admitted he is not sure whether the 17-year-old will see out the season in SA1.
Monga joined the Swans on a season-long loan from Manchester City on deadline day, but is yet to feature in a matchday squad. Despite the excitement surrounding the teenager, Swansea's strong start to the season and the form of other players have limited his opportunities.
Competition for places
"He's available, of course," Matos said when asked where the youngster sits in his plans. "But at the moment we've a really competitive squad. We need to make decisions regarding all the possibilities, to try to cover all scenarios on the bench as well, regarding how the game goes."
"So far Jeremy hasn't make the squad, but let's see."
Matos confirmed he has already held discussions with parent club Manchester City over Monga's situation. "We are in contact all the time, of course. There's a lot of things that when you have a player on loan you need to do and communicating is one of them," he said.
January recall possibility
Asked if there was a chance Monga could be recalled in January, the Swans boss said: "Let's see, we don't know. At the moment that's how the situation is and then he's trying to make steps. He's trying to compete. He's trying to improve in a competitive squad of course."
"I think there's still a lot of time. He's a really young player with a lot of potential, there's no doubt about that. That's why he's with City and played games with Leicester. But at the moment that's our squad so let's see for the future."
Monga's bid to break into the team has been made harder by the options available to Matos, with Moussa Yeo and Joseph Opoku both making impressive starts to life in the Championship since arriving in the summer. Eom Jisung and Ronald have also enjoyed an uptick in form.
Best squad since relegation
Team-mate Jay Fulton believes this is the best Swans squad he has been a part of since the club were relegated from the Premier League in 2018. "If you look at it on paper, there's almost two players in every position," he said. "The manager rotates the team quite a lot, and the results have kept coming."
"It feels like a bigger squad; it feels like [there is] a lot more depth and quality," he added. "When one player comes out, the next player comes in, and I don't feel as if there's been any drawback from it really."
