Get the latest Welsh rugby news sent straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

FORMER Chelsea and Barcelona star Eidur Gudjohnsen is high on Swansea City’s new year wish list.

The 32-year-old front-runner has failed to make an impression at Stoke City where it has been said that Potters’ Welsh boss Tony Pulis has been unimpressed with the Icelandic international’s fitness levels.

But there is no disputing Gudjohnsen’s ability and Swans boss Brendan Rodgers – who worked with the player during his time at Stamford Bridge under Jose Mourinho – is an unashamed fan of a player who would add real pedigree to his promotion-chasing squad.

Related content

Despite moving into second place in the Championship with a hard-fought victory over Reading, Rodgers knows he must inject more craft and firepower into his forward line if Swansea are to maintain their push for automatic promotion.

But he insists that Queens Park Rangers’ top spot is not impregnable after the Hoops’ lead was cut to four points with their 1-0 defeat at Norwich.

“It’s nice to move up the table, but we want to be first, not second,” said Rodgers after Swansea had taken over the second automatic promotion spot from arch-rivals Cardiff City. “The race is to be at the top and our job is now to chase the one who is in front of us.

“It’s great for the players, the fans and the city to be where we are, but we all want more. I’m sure there will be a lot more twists and turns between now and the end of the season.”

Swansea’s 1-0 win gave them a double over Reading after a similar scoreline at the Madejski Stadium in October, and now they head to Leicester today seeking a second following a 2-0 victory over Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Foxes earlier in the season.

Neil Taylor looks certain to miss out after suffering an ankle injury and that has handed Rodgers a headache at left-back with Alan Tate currently serving a three-match suspension.

Taylor left the Liberty Stadium on Saturday on crutches and with his foot protected in a cast, so Rodgers must decide between Albert Serran’s experience or hand young Jazz Richards a rare start.

Andrea Orlandi also came off early against Reading with a thigh injury and is unlikely to figure at the Walkers Stadium.

Rodgers will probably rotate his squad again and opportunity might knock for the likes of Mark Gower, David Cotterill, Craig Beattie and on-loan striker Jermaine Easter.