Separated by five points in the middle of the Championship table, Swansea City and Sheffield Wednesday will square off in South Wales on Wednesday.
The hosts moved back up to 16th spot with a crucial return to winning ways at the weekend, while their visitors dropped to 11th spot and three points behind the top six in an away defeat.
Match preview
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Swansea City return to action on Wednesday in search of back-to-back Championship victories, having ended a dismal run with a victory at the weekend.
After ending 2024 in ninth spot on 33 points from 24 league outings on the back of consecutive victories, Luke Williams's side endured a rut in January, managing just one point from a run of five games, culminating in 3-0, 2-1 and 5-1 losses to Cardiff City, Sheffield United and Norwich City respectively.
The Swans then began February at home to Coventry City and saw a losing run stretched to five games in all competitions, as Ellis Simms and Brandon Thomas-Asante netted first-half goals in a 2-0 away win, before they most recently visited Ashton Gate on Sunday to take on playoff-chasing Bristol City with pressure growing on Williams.
Josh Tymon opened the scoring early in the second half of that meeting, and the Welsh outfit were able to stand strong and end their wait for a first league win of 2025 and a 10th of the campaign, while also keeping a first clean sheet since Boxing Day.
Now sitting 16th thanks to that much-needed boost and trailing the top half by four points, Swansea City will be keen to put an improved run together in the coming weeks to begin a climb back towards the right end of the division, having stretched their lead over the bottom three back to nine points.
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They meet a visiting side who head to South Wales in search of a return to winning ways of their own, in their bid to earn a playoff place this season.
In their first full season under the management of Danny Rohl, Sheffield Wednesday have enjoyed a much-improved 2024-25 campaign, kicking on from last term's survival to sit in the top-six fight on 42 points from 31 outings, having won 11 and lost 11 of those.
It is away from home where the Owls have largely impressed thus far, earning 20 points from 15 games on the road, albeit only three of those points have come from their last four attempts, following up away defeats to Preston North End and Leeds United by beating Queens Park Rangers 2-0 at Loftus Road thanks to goals from Michael Smith and Callum Paterson.
Luton Town then visited Hillsborough and left with a point, as Smith drew Rohl's side level on the hour mark following Alfie Doughty's opener, before they most recently visited fellow playoff-chasers West Bromwich Albion at the weekend and drew level at a goal apiece in injury time through Paterson, only for Jayson Molumby to restore the hosts' lead and snatch all three points in the 96th minute.
That setback saw Sheffield Wednesday drop to 11th spot in the Championship with 15 games remaining, but still only trailing ninth spot on goal difference and sixth-placed Blackburn Rovers by three points, they have the chance to strengthen their playoff bid again starting with an away victory on Wednesday.
Team News
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Luke Williams should field a similar Swansea City starting XI from the weekend's 1-0 away victory, although Harry Darling should return to the starting XI on Wednesday having returned to contention following a suspension.
He could join Hannes Delcroix and Ben Cabango, who became club captain following Matt Grimes's January departure, in a new back three setup, while Ronald and Josh Tymon will continue in wing-back roles.
Lewis O'Brien arrived to take Grimes's place and will again partner Goncalo Franco in the midfield, while Zan Vipotnik should continue to lead the line with support from Liam Cullen, who leads the squad with nine Championship goals so far this season.
Sheffield Wednesday will remain without defenders Akin Famewo and Dominic Iorfa, key midfielder Barry Bannan and winger Anthony Musaba due to injury issues on Wednesday, while centre-back Di'Shon Bernard was forced off on Saturday and is set for a lengthy spell of his own on the sidelines.
In the absence of Bernard, Famewo and Iorfa, Max Lowe should join Michael Ihiekwe at the heart of the back four, allowing Marvin Johnson to return from the start on the left-hand side, while Nathaniel Chalobah could again join Shea Charles and January arrival Stuart Armstrong in midfield.
Callum Paterson will hope to make a return to the starting XI, having managed two goals in the Owls' last three outings, but Rohl could stick with a front three of Djeidi Gassama, Michael Smith and Josh Windass, having produced a combined tally of 21 goals between them this season.
Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Vigouroux; Darling, Cabango, Delcroix; Ronald, O'Brien, Franco, Tymon; Cullen, Vipotnik, Eom
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Beadle; Valery, Ihiekwe, Lowe, Johnson; Chalobah, Armstrong, Charles; Windass, Smith, Gassama
We say: Swansea City 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday
With renewed confidence from an impressive away win at the weekend, we back Swansea City to come out on top against a Sheffield Wednesday side harmed by several injuries to key players, particularly Bernard at the back and captain Bannan in midfield.
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Sam Varley
