Zan Vipotnik has been backed to return to form for Swansea City – even though he is still not guaranteed to return to the starting line-up.
Swansea are flying in the Championship, leading the table after six games, and they take their unbeaten start to Southampton on Tuesday (19:45 BST).
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And yet their leading goalscorer of last season has not got up and running.
Vipotnik, 24, took the second-tier golden boot with 23 league goals last term for a side that did not trouble the eventual race for the play-offs.
The tally was built on an eye-catching start where he had bagged five goals from the opening six games.
The same number of appearances into the 2026-27 season, and Vipotnik is still to find the net.
The latest chance came in the latter stages of Saturday’s goalless Welsh derby with Wrexham, Vipotnik having looked lively off the bench, but unable to steer his stretch past Anthony Patterson to break the deadlock.
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Swans boss Vitor Matos, though, appears calm.
Asked whether he expected the Slovenia international to find confidence and form soon, he replied: “I think if someone knows how to score goals it’s him, so I think it’s just a matter of scoring.”
Or perhaps a matter of time.
The obvious difference is that Vipotnik has only been given one league start so far this year, Adam Idah preferred in every game since the opening day win at Stoke City.
Idah, a £6m signing from Celtic a year ago, missed most of last season with injury, but has looked ready to make his mark with two goals so far.
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There have also been the question marks over Vipotnik’s future.
There was the school of thought that Swansea might want to cash in on the high value of a player who out-performed his expected goals (xG) by some way last season.
In other words, he scored more goals than the chances suggested he had a right to.
The signing of Ross Stewart following the Scotland international’s departure from Southampton only added weight to that theory.
But the only concrete bid was turned down, Hull City’s £10m offer knocked back, while Matos claimed he was not aware of deadline day interest from Burnley.
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The Portuguese did concede transfer windows still open elsewhere – most notably in Saudi Arabia – still mean a departure cannot be ruled out.
Former Wales striker Nathan Blake, who valued Vipotnik at around £25m, said the speculation and shift to the bench will have hit Vipotnik, claiming late last month: “I could see by looking at his face, he’s not on it. He’s probably two or three yards short mentally because of what is going on.”
Last week Matos conceded it might have had an impact, saying: “It’s normal that some things can unsettle you when we are in the middle of all of this.”
‘Vipotnik has right mindset’
Vipotnik will be looking for a first start since the opening day of the season when Championship leaders Swansea travel to Southampton [Huw Evans Picture Agency]
So is now the time?
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With Stewart injured for Tuesday’s game with his former side, and Swansea likely to rotate for a third match in seven days, Matos was asked whether this was the game to reintroduce Vipotnik to the starting line-up.
“We need to see what is best for the team,” said Matos, offering a smile but no commitment.
What he did offer, though, was conviction that the player of last season is still there in more ways than one.
“Besides the goals, he contributes a lot for the other parts of the game,” said Matos.
“I think against Wrexham he came on really sharp with the right mindset, fought for the duels, fought for the first ball, second ball, tried to arrive in the box for that chance.
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“Even with that he was helping building.
“So all that is coming – then it’s just a matter of scoring and he will score for sure.”
Swansea would welcome that as they look to show their impressive start should be taken seriously.
Their record of conceding just once so far is the meanest in the EFL, although they take on a Saints team who put five past Millwall last time out at St Mary’s.
“Southampton I think is one of the best teams on the league, a proper contender to win the league and to get promoted,” said Matos. “So it will be a really good game.
“We need to analyse the Wrexham game, see the priorities and then see as well Southampton.
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“But I expect a really, really good game for us to compete.”
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