In the latest instalment of the hotly-contested South Wales derby, Swansea City will welcome Cardiff City to the Swansea.com Stadium for a Championship clash on Saturday afternoon.
The Swans are looking to respond following a defeat at Bristol City last time out, whilst the Bluebirds are aiming to extend their marvellous winning run to five matches.
Match preview
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After promising back-to-back victories over managerless Sunderland and John Eustace's Blackburn Rovers, Swansea City's season is at risk of petering out in the coming weeks following a 1-1 draw with Watford before a narrow defeat at Ashton Gate against Bristol City last weekend.
Failing to score for the first time since the 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Daniel Farke's Leeds United on February 13, the Swans did not breach the net of Max O'Leary in the Robins' net last time out, and centre-back Rob Dickie was able to score the match-winning goal in the final 20 minutes.
Since the arrival of former Notts County manager Luke Williams to replace the sacked Michael Duff in early January, Swansea have won just three out of 11 Championship matches, with the standout result being a 1-0 success at Liam Rosenior's Hull City in the middle of February.
As is the congested nature of the second tier this season, the Swans are only five points ahead of 22nd-placed Huddersfield Town ahead of this weekend's round of fixtures, with the 15-point gap to sixth all but confirming that they will not be playing playoff football in May.
Losing leading marksman Joel Piroe to Premier League-chasing Leeds was a gigantic blow for Swansea in the summer transfer window, and Saturday's hosts have had to share the goalscoring burden around their ranks this season, although ex-Blackpool striker Jerry Yates leads the way with seven Championship strikes.
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Determined to make a late - and largely unexpected - charge for this season's playoffs, Cardiff City have now recorded four-straight wins in the Championship after dramatically defeating Kieran McKenna's Ipswich Town at the Cardiff City Stadium in front of the TV cameras last weekend.
Following a cagey opening 80 minutes, the Tractor Boys looked set for a much-needed maximum in the promotion race when Wales international Kieffer Moore put the visitors ahead, but goals in added-on time from Ryan Wintle and the fit-again Callum O'Dowda sent the home crowd into hysterics in South Wales.
Winning each of their last four second-tier matches by a single goal, Erol Bulut's men are finally finding themselves on the right side of the Championship's tight margins, with the run of one win in seven between January and February now a distant memory for a team with the top six in their sights.
The Bluebirds currently occupy 11th place in the Championship standings as this weekend's South Wales derby draws ever closer, sitting just five points behind David Wagner's sixth-placed Norwich City and a whole 10 points ahead of fierce rivals Swansea, who are languishing in 15th.
Cardiff are looking to do the double over their Welsh counterparts in the 2023-24 term following success over Duff's Swans at the Cardiff City Stadium in September, when late heroics from academy graduate Ollie Tanner and Welsh legend Aaron Ramsey secured a 2-0 victory.
Team News
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Enduring an injury-riddled loan spell from West Ham United, Harrison Ashby remains in the Swansea medical room due to a muscle strain picked up in early February.
Josh Ginnelly has only managed six appearances in the Championship for the Swans since making the switch from Hearts in the summer, with the 26-year-old struggling due to a muscle injury.
Ronald Pereira will be tasked with providing a moment of magic for the hosts as they seek to defeat their rivals, with the Brazilian making a positive impression since joining in the January transfer window.
Cardiff are coping marvellously well without the services of influential defender Mark McGuinness, who is expected back next month from a hamstring injury.
Liverpool loanee Nat Phillips and Greek Dimitrios Goutas have struck up a good partnership in the Irishman's absence, and Bulut should field that duo in Swansea on Saturday.
Jak Alnwick was not featured for the Bluebirds since the 2-0 defeat against Preston North End due to injury, meaning that former Nottingham Forest keeper Ethan Horvath has enjoyed an extended run in the XI.
Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Rushworth; Naughton, Cabango, Wood, Tymon; Fulton, Grimes, Pereira, Paterson, Placheta; Lowe
Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Horvath; Ng, Phillips, Goutas, Wilson-Esbrand; Wintle, Siopis, O'Dowda, Turnbull, Grant; Meite
We say: Swansea City 1-1 Cardiff City
Swansea have struggled in recent matches but should be raring to fight during a South Wales derby in front of their own supporters at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Cardiff are threatening a serious top-six push following four-straight wins, but we feel that the Bluebirds will be forced to share the points on Saturday afternoon.
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Carter White
