Swansea City will be looking to earn their first win of the new Championship campaign when they welcome Coventry City to the Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The hosts have endured a difficult opening to their second-tier season following a pair of matches against West Midlands opposition, while Coventry silenced their doubters with a resounding win over Middlesbrough last time out.

Match preview

Swansea suffered their maiden defeat of the 2023-24 term at the hands of West Bromwich Albion last Saturday, although the scoreline could have been much worse at the Hawthorns.

Goals from Semi Ajayi and John Swift - coupled with a Carl Rushworth own goal - had the Swans three goals behind after 65 minutes in the Black Country, however efforts from Harry Darling and Nathan Wood reduced the arrears.

With Russell Martin leaving in the off-season to join recently-relegated Southampton, Michael Duff has been tasked with guiding a capable group of players to an elusive top-six finish.

A key component to any promotion charge this term will be striker Joel Piroe, with the Dutchman netting 41 goals over the past two campaigns in the Championship since moving from PSV Eindhoven in July 2021.

The departure of Ryan Manning to link up with Martin at Southampton left the Welsh club without a senior left-back for the opening two matches of the league season, but the arrival of Nathan Tjoe-A-On from Excelsior has provided Duff with greater defensive options.

Coventry responded to back-to-back defeats against Leicester City and AFC Wimbledon by earning a convincing win over Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough at the Coventry Building Society Arena last Saturday.

The Sky Blues have lost the goalscoring powers of Viktor Gyokeres to Sporting Lisbon this summer, but the ever-reliable Matt Godden opened the scoring against Boro - the 32-year-old will have a greater expectation on his shoulders now the towering Swede has departed.

Haji Wright bagged his first goal for Mark Robins's men off the bench last time out, and the American international is showing glimpses of his potential to terrorise second-tier defences in the early stages of the season.

Ellis Simms is yet to make the net ripple for Coventry since his permanent switch from Everton, but the 22-year-old will be given the time needed to adapt to life at the East Midlands club.

Having not tasted victory in their previous eight encounters with Swansea, Sky Blues supporters will not be expecting too much when they travel over the border to Wales on Saturday, although it is fair to argue that Robins's charges are in better shape to earn three points than any of their unsuccessful predecessors.

Team News

Swansea remain without their first-choice goalkeeper at the start of the 2023-24 term, with German stopper Steven Benda still recovering from a cruciate ligament injury suffered in January against Queens Park Rangers.

Andrew Fisher played the majority of the Swans' Championship matches in the second half of last term, and the 25-year-old will be pushing youngster Rushworth for a place in between the sticks until Benda is available again.

Josh Ginnelly scored a sensational long-range strike in the EFL Cup success over Northampton Town earlier in the month, but the former Hearts man is currently being kept out of his side's second-tier XI by Harrison Ashby.

Charlie Patino made his debut off the bench at the Hawthorns, and the Arsenal loanee could replace Oliver Cooper in the hosts' XI to partner Matt Grimes and Jay Fulton on Saturday afternoon.

As for Coventry, the departure of the influential Gustavo Hamer to Sheffield United has resulted in a new engine-room partnership being born in the East Midlands, and Josh Eccles is expected to join Ben Sheaf in the midfield at Swansea.

With Callum O'Hare yet to return from his long-term injury, Kasey Palmer will start just behind the forward two after impressing in the victory over Middlesbrough last weekend.

Joel Latibeaudiere is set to feature against his former employers at the Swansea.com Stadium, partnering Kyle McFadzean and Bobby Thomas in a back three which looks to take risks with their build-up play.

Left-back Jake Bidwell is another man who could line up against familiar faces on Saturday, but Jay Dasilva is expected to retain his place in the Sky Blues' team.

Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Rushworth; Darling, Cabango, Wood; Ashby, Fulton, Grimes, Patino, Key; Yates, Piroe

Coventry City possible starting lineup:
Wilson; Thomas, McFadzean, Latibeaudiere; Van Ewijk, Eccles, Sheaf, Dasilva, Palmer; Wright, Godden

We say: Swansea City 1-2 Coventry City

Swansea are still searching for their first victory of the Championship campaign, and the visit of Coventry represents a very difficult challenge on Saturday afternoon.

The Sky Blues were at their efficient best in the win over Middlesbrough, and we are expecting them to cause the Swans a lot of problems in South Wales this weekend.


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