Francesco Guidolin fears he will become the first Premier League casualty of the season this week, with Ryan Giggs one of the leading contenders to replace him as Swansea City manager.

Guidolin’s nine-month reign is set to come to an end after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, Swansea’s fourth loss in a row, and the Italian has told close friends that he expects to lose his job in the next few days.

Giggs, the former Manchester United and Wales winger, is one of Swansea’s top targets to take over and is understood to have met with the club’s American owners in London on Thursday.