Preview | Swansea City v Blackburn Rovers
Swansea City host Blackburn Rovers at the Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
The Swans will be looking to build on an impressive performance and result at Sunderland last time out, while the visitors arrive in SA1 on the back of three draws, as well as an impressive midweek showing - despite losing on penalties - against Newcastle United in the FA Cup.
In league terms, the sides could not be closer. They sit level on points and goal difference, with the visitors ahead on goals scored.
TEAMS NEWS
Swansea City head coach Luke Williams has a number of players back from injury and in contention for Saturday's game against Blackburn Rovers.
Josh Key, Harrison Ashby, Bashir Humphreys, Azeem Abdulai and Jamal Lowe have all been back in training this week.
Josh Ginnelly, Liam Walsh and Sam Parker remain absent.
PRE-MATCH VIEWS
Luke Williams:
"Blackburn have a really good energy and a front player - Sammie Szmodics – in really good form.
"The whole team are fighting for each other, and the manager will be smart and change them bit by bit. I think it will be a very tough game.
"They play with a lot of freedom going forward, the three players highest up the pitch really combine well. We saw in the Newcastle game that they can cause a lot of problems, they’re a strong side."
John Eustace:
“They (Swansea) are a talented group of players, a very good team and have good Championship experience. We know it is going to be a tough game but it is one we are looking forward to.
“You want to win football games but it is about the process as well, and I think the way we have been developing over the last five games has been good.
“The performance on Tuesday night was very good. If we can go there and show that same level of intensity and desire, hopefully we can come out with a positive result.”
MEET THE OFFICIALS
Rebecca Welch will be in charge of proceedings for today's match.
Welch was promoted to Select Group 2 in the summer of 2023 and this will be the first time she has taken charge of a Swans match.
You can find out more about Welch and her team of officials below.
REMEMBER THE LAST TIME?
Swansea City suffered a 3-0 defeat the last time Blackburn Rovers visited SA1.
Sammie Szmodics, Ben Brereton Diaz and Lewis Travis gave Rovers the spoils at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Szmodics netted the opener as he swept home a Ryan Hedges’ pass after the visitors had stolen the ball high up the pitch.
Brereton Diaz doubled the advantage when he finished with aplomb as the Chile international expertly took down a raking pass to close in on goal and find the net, before Travis fired in a third.
Swansea had chances, with Michael Obafemi and Joel Piroe having the best of them, but were not as clinical in front of goal as Rovers.
PRIME NUMBERS
0.41 – Ronald got off the mark on the weekend and now has two goals in 219 minutes for the Swans; a rate of 0.41 per 90.
19 – Ronald became the 19th player to score for the Swans this season when he got off the mark against Sunderland last weekend.
88 – Matt Grimes has completed 2,526 of his 2,859 passes this season. A completion rate of 88%.