Both languishing at the bottom end of the Championship table without a victory on the board after seven league outings, Swansea City and Sheffield Wednesday will do battle in an important contest in South Wales on Saturday.
The two sides each drew on Tuesday, leaving the hosts 23rd on two points following their promotion from League One last season and their hosts one point better off in 22nd spot.
Match preview
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Following Russell Martin's departure over the summer, Swansea City have experienced a difficult start to the 2023-24 season under the new management of Michael Duff, currently finding themselves as one of the three remaining sides in England's second tier with a winless record.
The Swans' campaign began with draws against Birmingham City and Coventry City, either side of a defeat to West Bromwich Albion and an EFL Cup first-round triumph over Northampton Town, leaving them on two points from three outings before failing to add another point to their tally in the next three attempts.
Duff's men would surrender a 1-0 lead away at Preston North End and leave empty-handed following a 2-1 defeat, before the Welsh outfit fell to Bournemouth in the EFL Cup and Bristol City in the league and saw their South Wales Derby winning run come to an abrupt end, succumbing to a 2-0 defeat away at rivals Cardiff City as Ollie Tanner opened the scoring 19 minutes from time and Aaron Ramsey doubled the hosts' lead late on from the penalty spot.
Aiming to bounce back from that disappointing run, Swansea most recently travelled to take on Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday and looked set to have scored a first Championship triumph at the seventh time of asking, having led throughout the contest thanks to Josh Ginnelly's early opener, only to be pegged back in agonising fashion as Lyndon Dykes forced a share of the spoils with a 92nd-minute equaliser at Loftus Road.
With pressure bound to be growing on Duff, with the Swans having collected just three points from seven outings and sitting 22nd as a result, they will be desperate to put an end to their winless start at the weekend on home turf.
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They meet one of the two sides with a worse record in the Championship so far this term, with Sheffield Wednesday a point behind Saturday's opponents after winning promotion in the League One playoffs last time around.
That promotion was under Darren Moore, but like their hosts, the Owls are also under new management this term, with Xisco Munoz having taken over at Hillsborough and overseen a difficult start, as they lost their first four matches at the hands of Southampton, Hull City, Preston North End and Cardiff City, before securing a first point at the fifth time of asking prior to the recent international break in a creditable goalless stalemate away at Yorkshire rivals Leeds United.
On their return to action last weekend, Munoz's men hosted fellow promoted side Ipswich Town but again came away empty-handed, suffering a 1-0 defeat as Conor Chaplin netted the only goal on the stroke of half time, leaving the Owls on just a single point from six matches ahead of a crucial meeting with fellow struggles Middlesbrough at Hillsborough on Tuesday.
They took the lead in that game through Anthony Musaba and went into the interval ahead, only to have to settle for a point as Darragh Lenihan drew the visitors level early in the second period with neither side going on to find the decisive goal.
That left the South Yorkshire outfit and Boro stuck at the bottom of the division with two points on the board, and with pressure also continuing to grow around the club and Munoz, they will look to end their wait for a first win since their return to the Championship, which would see them leapfrog the Swans at the weekend.
Team News
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Swansea City will be unable to call on midfielder Oliver Cooper on Saturday, after he came off the bench against QPR and was sent off deep into injury time, with Duff therefore expected to again deploy the pairing of Jay Fulton and captain Matt Grimes in the engine room and goalscorer Josh Ginnelly in a more advanced role.
With star man Joel Piroe having departed for Leeds United over the summer, there is a place to fill in attack, and after Jamie Paterson and Liam Cullen were preferred last time out, Jerry Yates could get the nod to return and lead the line, having netted two Championship goals since his recent arrival from Blackpool, while Jamal Lowe will hope to play in a more central role up front after returning to the club on loan from Bournemouth.
Chelsea loanee Bashir Humphreys was handed a debut in defence on Tuesday and could again line up alongside Nathan Wood and Ben Cabango, despite competition from Harry Darling, while fellow summer signings Josh Tymon, Kristian Pedersen and Harrison Ashby also have claims to start in their back five.
Sheffield Wednesday will likely head into Saturday's game without key attacker Josh Windass, who was forced off with an injury concern in the first half of their meeting with Middlesbrough, while defender Dominic Iorfa, new midfielder Momo Diaby and attacker Mallik Wilks also remain confined to the treatment room.
In his absence, Anthony Musaba could come in from the outset after opening the scoring off the bench, while Lee Gregory and Michael Smith are also fighting to feature from the start up front, with Watford loanee Ashley Fletcher having been preferred last time out.
There is also competition in midfield, with George Byers and Tyreeq Bakinson both vying to start after deadline day arrivals John Buckley and Jeff Hendrick were given the nod alongside captain and key man Barry Bannan on Tuesday, while Akin Famewo and new signings Di'Shon Bernard and Bambo Diaby should line up in an unchanged back three.
Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Rushworth; Cabango, Wood, Humphreys; Ashby, Grimes, Fulton, Tymon; Ginnelly; Lowe, Yates
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Vasquez; Bernard, Diaby, Famewo; Valentin, Byers, Bannan, Hendrick, Delgado; Smith, Musaba
We say: Swansea City 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday
Both sides are devoid of confidence heading into the weekend's crucial contest, but with home advantage and slightly more quality throughout their squad, the Swans should fancy themselves to outclass Munoz's side and end their winless start at the weekend.
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Top tip
Sam Varley
