Preview | Swansea City v Sheffield United

Swansea City will look to build on a morale-boosting win over Queens Park Rangers last time out when they take on Sheffield United this evening (7.45pm kick-off).

The Blades come to SA1 looking to claim a third successive victory in the Championship. While their home form is faultless, victory against Hull City on September 4 was just a second in their last dozen games on their travels.

The Swans will be looking to back-up positive performances against QPR and Stoke City and build momentum.

TEAM NEWS

Liam Cullen has joined Liam Walsh and Joel Latibeaudiere on the sidelines after the striker suffered a dislocated shoulder against QPR. The latter is making good progress from his shoulder injury, but it’s still too early for him to return.

Jamie Paterson returned from a groin injury last time out, while there are no new injury concerns for the Swans. Head coach Russell Martin has confirmed Michael Oabfemi is back in training.

PRE-MATCH VIEWS:

Russell Martin:

"Sheffield United are full of excellent players with loads of Premier League experience. They have physicality, athleticism, they’re really good, it’ll be a tough game for us.

"It’s up to us to approach it with the right mentality. In this league you’ve got a chance against anyone. The real thing for us, you get a win, you’re really not far away. It’s still early days.

"It's the sort of challenge that should excite us. We believe when we perform we are capable of posing questions of any team in this division and it's up to us to show that belief."

Paul Heckingbottom:

“We had a tough workout on Saturday. Not as tough as a game, but pretty tough still. So in that regard, there won’t be a lot of difference.

“Our plan, relating to what we do, hasn’t actually changed that much anyway. Sunday was always going to be a day off  for downtime anyway, and we kept that as it was. We just wanted to guard against the other side of things, and that’s why we gave the lads the reminder, the little nudge, that we did.

“I didn’t want them switching off, mentally speaking. I didn’t think for one moment that they would. But it was something we felt was worth referencing and referring to anyway.”

REMEMBER THE LAST TIME?

Swansea City picked up their first point under Russell Martin with a goalless draw when promotion favourites Sheffield United last visited the Swansea.com Stadium.

Missing a number of players through injury and suspension, the Swans performed admirably against a Blades side made up entirely of players who were plying their trade in the Premier League the previous campaign.

The Swans best chances fell to Joel Latibeaudiere and Jamal Lowe, while former Swan Rhian Brewster and David McGoldrick had the visitors’ best opportunities as it ended in stalemate.

PRIME NUMBERS

3 – Joel Piroe’s three goals in three games see the Dutchman hitting the sort of form which saw him score 24 in all competitions last term.

6 – Visiting midfielder-turned striker Iliman Ndiaye and former Swan Ollie McBurnie have a combined six goals in four games since being selected as the Blades strike pairing against Blackburn on August 20.

64 – Swansea's home record against the Blades is good. They haven’t lost to the south Yorkshire outfit on home soil since 1958 (64 years).