Preview | Ipswich Town v Swansea City
Swansea City will look to continue their fine recent away form going when they face high-flying Ipswich Town at Portman Road this afternoon (3pm).
The Swans have won their last three games on their travels against Millwall, Plymouth Argyle and Blackburn Rovers, and are unbeaten in four on the road.
They face a Tractor Boys side who sit second in the Championship table after winning 11 of their opening 15 league fixtures.
TEAM NEWS
Swansea City boss Michael Duff will be without the suspended Charlie Patino but is set to have the same group of players to choose from as he did for last weekend's draw against Sunderland.
Josh Key and Mykola Kuharevich will miss out. Key will be sidelined until after the international break with the knock he picked up against Leicester, while Kuharevich is set for a longer spell out with a knee injury.
Joe Allen, Nathan Wood and Josh Ginnelly are longer-term absentees, while Azeem Abdulai is progressing in his return from a hamstring injury.
PRE-MATCH VIEWS
Michael Duff: “They were fantastic last season where I came up against them with Barnsley. They have recruited well and have a clear identity.
“I know Lee Grant, one of the assistants there, and he has said there is a real feelgood factor about the place and they are in a good position.
“They mix it up well, they play from the back but have the ability to go in behind and stretch teams, so they have that balance.
“We know it will be a tough game, but our focus is on ourselves, the work we are doing and how we want the game to look.
“We have played teams recently who fancy themselves to be in the mix for promotion or the play-offs and we have competed really well and got points from those games.
“We have kept four clean sheets in our last eight games, and we are looking forward to the test.
“We are showing we are a team that can compete with anyone.”
Kieran McKenna: "It’s such a long season and there’s going to be so many different types of games, we’re not going to be perfect every week.
“I keep saying it, but we’re really realistic – we’re a newly-promoted team going to other sides who have a plan and try to impose themselves and stop us.
“We’re not always going to be at our best and when we’re not it’s important that we show the right mental characteristics, keep our belief and we’ve done those things."
MEET THE OFFICIALS
Sunny Gill will be the man in charge at Portman Road and it will be his first time at the helm of a Swansea City fixture.
You can find out more about him and his team of officials by clicking here.
REMEMBER THE LAST TIME?
Wayne Routledge ended Swansea City’s run of seven consecutive away defeats as he netted a second-half winner on their last visit to Portman Road in April 2019.
In a sluggish end-of-season contest, Routledge was the first to react to the rebound when Dan James’ shot struck the post in the 57th minute to sink relegated Ipswich with a fine finish.
James and Routledge had both spurned chances in the first half, while George Byers was booked for simulation when the midfielder felt he had been fouled by Ipswich keeper Dean Gerken.
But it did not matter as Routledge's fourth goal of the season settled matters, and there was the boost of seeing Leroy Fer return after three months out with a hamstring injury.
PRIME NUMBERS
2 - The Swans are second for fewest set-pieces conceded in the Championship this season having only conceded two. This afternoon's hosts Ipswich Town are the only team to have let in fewer goals from dead-ball situations.
4 – Carl Rushworth kept his fourth clean of the season against Sunderland climbing to eighth in the clean sheets table. He has also climbed to third in the Championship save percentage table (of keepers who have played at least 10 games) with 74.6 per cent.
41 - The Swans haven’t lost a league game at Portman Road since 1982, however, they have only been there four times in the league in the intervening 41 years.