These are your Swansea City headlines on Thursday, February 10.
Martin demands reaction
Head coach Russell Martin has demand an immediate reaction when his side face Bristol City on Sunday.
The 3-0 defeat to Stoke City on Tuesday night fell well below the standards Martin expects of his players, with the 36-year-old hinting that one or two weren't fit enough for his brand of football.
He has urged his players to dig deep in front of their own fans at the weekend.
“It was a tough night after the elation we experienced on Saturday against Blackburn,” he said.
“We are better than that, we know we are capable of being miles better than that and we will need to be on Sunday.
“We have to have more energy about us, because it is hurtful to perform like that.
“But, as I’ve said before, I believe we have a great group of players here with plenty of character.
“They have shown that and hopefully we will recover well and get prepared and ready.
“We know it will be a great atmosphere on Sunday, it is an important game given the locality of the teams.
“We are back at home, and it is important for us to bounce back.”
Pearson to return at Swans after surgery
Bristol City boss Nigel Pearson is set to return to the Robins' dugout for the trip to Swansea.
The manager missed the clash with Reading after undergoing a "scheduled routine medical procedure".
“I would like to thank everyone at the football club for their support,” Pearson said before the clash with the Royals.
“I wish Curtis, the staff and the players all the best for today’s game and look forward to returning to work as soon as possible.”
It is the fourth fixture the manager has missed this term. He was forced to miss the games against Peterborough and Millwall with Covid and then against Coventry with a "Covid-related condition".
MacDonald sought counselling
Former Swansea midfielder Shaun MacDonald has revealed he used a counsellor during his career to help him overcome the mental impact of injury.
In an interview with Sgorio, MacDonald looked back on a career which saw him turnout for his boyhood club and earn four caps for his country.
He also featured for Bournemouth and Wigan, and remains Wales' most capped under-21s player.
"My dream was always to play for Swansea City, because my family and friends are diehard Swansea fans. It was a privilege to put the Swansea shirt on," he said.
"The dream for me was always to stay at Swansea and play for Swansea as long as I can. But in reality as a young lad that was never going to be the case.
"Looking back now, I think that move to Bournemouth was probably the best thing that could ever have happened to me.
"From a personal point of view, it made me grow up as a man and from a football point of view I had really successful times."
He turned out four times in the Premier League for the Cherries and moved on to Wigan afterwards, and it was while up north he broke his leg - on the worst Saturday of his life, he recalled.
"We got relegated that game, we lost the game and I broke my leg and we were getting married seven weeks after, me and my wife!" he recalled.
Luckily he was able to walk down the aisle on his special day but the mental recovery from his injury took longer and he sought professional help.
"Mentally it was tough for me to come back from that injury from a trauma point of view really," he said.
"I was doing counselling and that after it, which people probably don't know. That was a big one but luckily, I managed to get over it."
MacDonald remains an immensely popular player among Swans supporters and is currently playing for Penybont in the JD Cymru Premier.
Robins' bulletin
Sunday's visitors should have Han-Noah Massengo and Callum O'Dowda in their ranks for the game against Swansea.
Midfielder Massengo left the field in the first half against Reading while O'Dowda was replaced towards the end of the 2-1 victory at Ashton Gate in midweek.
Coach Curtis Fleming is optimistic Massengo will be available.
"He smashed his hip off the ground, it wasn’t from the tackle it was when he hit the ground," Fleming said. "As a coach you’re saying just run it off. I haven’t got any degrees in physiotherapy or anything so I say just run it off but he’s such a good kid.
"He tried to run it but as soon as he looks over and says it’s gone then you’re not going to question the attitude or determination so hopefully it’s not too bad and that he’ll be available for Sunday, we hope."
On O'Dowda, Fleming said: "He just tweaked something in his knee when he went up for a header and he came down.
"Again, I’m saying just run it off but Robbie Cundy has come on and a few weeks ago he’s coming back and probably thinking is he going to get another chance, now he gets a chance to make an appearance in the Championship."
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