Two sides seemingly destined for a mid-table finish go head to head in the Premier League this weekend when Newcastle United host Swansea City on Saturday.
Garry Monk's side are eighth in the table coming into the match, while Newcastle's recent run has dropped them down to 14th, just seven points clear of the relegation zone.
Newcastle United
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John Carver's side have lost their last six matches in a row ahead of their match against Swansea this weekend, including a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday.
However, Newcastle have just one more match against a side above them in the table to come after this fixture, keeping alive the possibility of finishing in the top half of the table, with just eight points currently keeping them out of the top 10.
The club's recent run led to fans holding a protest against Mike Ashley's chairmanship last week, something which Carver has said affected the players during their loss to Tottenham.
Speculation over the club's potential transfer activities has also hotted up over the last couple of days, with talk of former manager Alan Pardew preparing to bring goalkeeper Tim Krul to Crystal Palace, while Feyenoord midfielder Jordy Clasie is among those being linked with a move to St James' Park.
Newcastle have struggled at the back this season conceding 54 goals in the league so far; only relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers have let in more.
Scoring goals has also been something of a problem for the Magpies, with the team finding the back of the net just 34 times so far, the same as Leicester City, who have played a game fewer and sit in the bottom three. Since their last win against Aston Villa in February, Newcastle have scored just twice.
Newcastle have been in mixed form at home this season, winning six of their 16 wins at St James' Park while also losing six times.
Recent form: LLLLLL
Swansea City
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Swansea City will be looking to put their 2-0 defeat to Leicester City last Saturday behind them, having ended their run of three unbeaten matches in the league.
The chances of clinching a European place are all but over for Garry Monk's side, with his team currently sitting 10 points behind fifth-placed Liverpool, who occupy the Europa League spot.
The South Wales side have struggled to score goals this season, netting more than twice in just two matches so far, including their 3-1 win over 10-man Hull City earlier this month.
Swansea have scored 38 times in the league this season, the same number as QPR, while Crystal Palace and Everton, who also sit below the visitors in the table, have both scored more.
The team has been defensively strong this campaign though, keeping 11 clean sheets and conceding an average of just a goal per match in their last eight outings.
Like this weekend's opponents, Swansea have been the subject of a growing amount of transfer talk in recent days, with Rudy Gestede among those linked with a move to the Liberty Stadium as a result of the team's struggle for goals since the January departure of Wilfried Bony.
Swansea have a difficult finish to the campaign, with matches against second-placed Arsenal and defending champions Manchester City still to come, as well as games against those around them in the table.
Monk's side have not been as strong away from home as they have been in Swansea this season, losing half of their fixtures away from the Liberty Stadium.
Recent form: LLWWDL
Team News
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Swansea City will continue to be without striker Bafetimbi Gomis as he recovers from a hamstring injury sustained in the team's draw with Everton earlier this month, which is likely to keep him out of action for another two weeks.
The away side has reported no fresh injuries following last weekend's loss to the Foxes, but Kyle Naughton and Tom Carroll both remain sidelined.
Defender Neil Taylor also misses though out after picking up his 10th booking of the campaign against the Toffees, leaving him serving the second of a two-match suspension.
Newcastle also have players missing through suspension, as Papiss Cisse continues to serve his seven-match ban for spitting at Manchester United's Jonny Evans, while Moussa Sissoko is serving the second of a two-game absence after being sent off against Liverpool earlier this month.
However, vice-captain Siem de Jong is available for the first time since suffering a collapsed lung in October, while Jonas Gutierrez is also back in the squad after being left out against Leicester amid reports of a fallout with Carver.
Paul Dummett and Rolando Aarons are both expected back before the end of the season, but will still be missing this weekend, while Cheick Tiote and Massadio Haidara are among the long-term absentees.
Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Anita, De Jong, Taylor, Colback, Obertan, Perez, Cabella
Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Fabianski, Rangel, Fernandez, Williams, Amat, Cork, Ki, Shelvey, Sigurdsson, Routledge, Emnes
Head To Head
In the reverse fixture back in October, the sides shared a 2-2 draw, with Cisse scoring a brace to help Newcastle come from behind twice after goals from Bony and Wayne Routledge.
Prior to that, Swansea had been on a four-match winning streak over this weekend's opponents, with Newcastle's last win coming back in 2012.
In the nine previous league meetings between these two sides, Newcastle have won just twice, while Swansea have picked up four wins, and three games have ended in draws.
We say: Newcastle United 1-2 Swansea City
Swansea suffered a setback last weekend, but they had been in strong form prior to their loss to Leicester, so will be optimistic of bouncing back this weekend as they try to make sure they finish in the top half of the table. Newcastle have been struggling in recent weeks though, and are still missing a number of key players, which should be enough for Swansea to clinch the win, although it is likely to be a closely-fought tie.
Sian Cowper
