Preview | Swansea City v Birmingham City
Swansea City kick-off the 2023-24 Championship season with a visit from Birmingham City at the Swansea.com Stadium this afternoon (3pm kick off).
The fixture pitches together two teams who have gone through summers of transition.
Michael Duff was appointed Swansea's new boss on the eve of pre-season with six new players following his through the arrivals' door at the Swansea.com Stadium since.
The Blues, meanwhile, have had a change of ownership and brought in seven players this summer including Dion Sanderson who returns on a full-time deal having been on loan at the Midlands club last term.
Both sides will have aspirations to finish as high as possible in the 2023-24 campaign, with Birmingham City hoping for a change of fortune after a challenging season last term, while the Swans will want to build on the form and momentum which saw them finish 2022-23 unbeaten in nine games.
Team news
Michael Duff has welcomed Carl Rushworth, Mykola Kuharevich and Harrison Ashby through the door this week. While Rushworth and Harrison are likely to be included in the squad, it remains to be seen if Kuharevich - who has not got any pre-season work under his belt - will be involved.
Josh Ginnelly and Joe Allen are continuing to progress after getting some minutes under their belts at Reading last weekend, but Liam Walsh is set to be absent for a number of weeks with a calf problem.
The only other long-term absentee is Steven Benda who is continuing rehabilitation on a knee injury picked up at Queens Park Rangers last season.
Pre-match views
Michael Duff: “We want to be competitive, I am not a big one for making predictions. Everyone will be saying the same thing at the start of the season, let’s try and win the first couple of games, and then see where are after 10 games.
“That’s not me being negative, I think this is going to be the most competitive Championship season for a long time.
“If you look at the league, some big teams have come into it, who are well-supported financially.
“It is going to be very competitive, and that is what we want to be. We want to work week to week, win every half of football and see where we end up."
John Eustace: “The atmosphere we created with the staff and the players [last season] was excellent, that’s why we got through what we got through.
“There was always a ‘no excuse’ culture. There were no problems for me last year, I was very privileged to work with a very good group of players.
“It was about the football club growing, coming in last year I wanted to get the connection back with the fans and the players.
“Now we’ve got that. Now it’s important we get that connection back with the football club and the fans.”
Remember the last time?
Lukas Jutkiewicz and Auston Trusty netted in the final minutes as Birmingham City snatched victory from Swansea City at the end of a breathless Swansea.com Stadium encounter.
Scott Hogan had given the visitors the lead against the run of play from the penalty spot, but Joel Piroe steered in an equaliser and Liam Cullen finished a smart move to put the Swans ahead.
Tahith Chong got the Blues back on level terms early in the second half, but a defensive blunder allowed Piroe to net his 12th goal of the season.
But, down to 10 men owing to injuries, the home side could not hold out as striker Jutkiewicz stooped to steer in a header before Trusty found the net from a set-piece.
Officials
James Linington is the man in charge at the Swansea.com Stadium as he takes charge of a Swans game for the 14th time.
He will be assisted by Andrew Fox and Greg Read. James Bell will be the fourth official.
Prime Numbers
3 – In three of the last five matchups between these two sides in SA1, the Swans have scored three goals. Incredibly, only one of these has resulting in the Swans taking all three points.
8 – The Swans have won just eight of their 46 league meetings with the Blues.
77 – It’s been 77 years since the two sides first met. They played a double header, facing off in Birmingham City on December 25 followed by the reverse fixture in Swansea on December 26. The Swans lost in the Midlands, but won the match at home.
