Preview | Swansea City v Blackburn Rovers
Swansea City will look to end a difficult week on a positive note when they host Blackburn Rovers at the Swansea.com Stadium this afternoon (3pm).
The Swans are seeking a vital three points and a first win of 2025, having parted ways with head coach Luke Williams on Monday.
Alan Sheehan is in caretaker charge as Swansea host a Rovers side sitting in the play-off places on the back of victories over West Bromwich Albion and Plymouth Argyle.
Team news
Joe Allen and Kristian Pedersen are the only absentees for the Swans.
Caretaker boss Sheehan has said his squad are nursing a few bumps and bruises, but he expects to have everyone else available.
Pre-match views
Alan Sheehan: “We hopefully have a reaction, we want to win. Our only focus is on getting more points on the board.
“Blackburn have two wins on the bounce, they have had some positive performances and they are fighting at the right end of the division and trying to get to the promised land.
“We are going to have to be disciplined in what we do, and be ready to fight and play with real energy to give ourselves the best chance of a result.
“We have to change our momentum. No other person can do that, we all have to come together and change the club into the club it should be, and get the results we want and need.”
David Lowe: “We should be going into it full of confidence after the last two games.
"They’ve had a change of manager, we know that, but we’ll be focusing on ourselves and getting the gameplan ready to give ourselves a chance of winning a football match.
“It’s difficult at times to plan properly when a team has had a change of manager, but we’ll be going there full of confidence and with plenty of enthusiasm.
“We know they’re a possession-based team and really strong on that. Whether the guy (Sheehan) who has come in wants to change things, we don’t know.
“This will be his first game in charge, but we’ll be going there fully prepared and give the guys the information with regard to that."
Meet the officials
Gavin Ward will be the man in the middle this afternoon.
You can find out more about the Surrey-based official and his team below.
Remember the last time?
First-half goals from Joe Allen and Jamie Paterson saw Swansea City complete a first-ever league double over Blackburn Rovers when the Lancashire club last visited the Swansea.com Stadium.
The hosts had by far the better of the opening half, and deservedly led after Allen netted his second goal of the season from close range early on, before Paterson fired home his seventh this term after fine pressing work in midfield.
Sammie Szmodics pulled a goal back for the visitors in the second half but, as at Sunderland a week earlier, Swansea saw the game out to claim the three points and back-to-back league wins for the first time since October.
Prime numbers
1 - The Swans have lost just one of their last seven meetings with Blackburn Rovers in SA1.
89 - Swansea's league double over Blackburn last season was their first against the Lancashire club since the sides first played in the same division in 1936; 89 years ago.