Brendan Rodgers refuses to release Stephen Dobbie

Swansea City manager Brendan Rodgers has claimed that out-of-favour striker Stephen Dobbie will not be leaving the club despite interest from a number of Championship sides.

Dobbie has struggled to secure a place in Rodgers's team and the 29-year-old is a loan target for teams including Middlesbrough, Blackpool and Birmingham City.

However, Rodgers is keen to keep Dobbie as a back-up option should injuries take their toll on the Welsh club's squad.

The former Watford manager said: "I know Dobbs wants to play games — the great thing about him is that he is not driven by money, he is driven by playing football.

"But ultimately I have got to think about Swansea City.

"We could well lose more players over a longer period and, when that happens, I need players at Swansea who I can call on."

Swansea are currently 11th in the Premier League.