Swansea City will be looking to extend their impressive unbeaten run when they host playoff-chasing Preston North End at the Swansea.com Stadium on Wednesday night in the Championship.

The Swans are on course for a top-half finish if their good form continues, while Preston will be hoping to squeeze into the top six during their last four matches.

Match preview

Swansea are now unbeaten in five matches after a 1-0 success over Neil Warnock's rejuvenated Huddersfield Town side at the Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with a second-half goal from Ryan Manning proving the difference between the sides.

Russell Martin's men have won four of those most recent five matches, recording wins against fierce rivals Cardiff City as well as an away maximum over relegation-threatened Wigan Athletic.

The Swans are now 13th in the second-tier standings, and although the seven-point gap to sixth-placed Blackburn Rovers might be unbridgeable, a top-10 place this season is still achievable.

Joel Piroe has once again been the talisman for the Welsh outfit this season, with the Dutchman netting 16 league goals so far - nine more than any of his Swansea teammates.

Those within the Swansea camp believed this season may bring an end to their five-year stay in the Championship, and although things have not turned out how Martin would have hoped, he certainly has the components of a top second-tier side to work with over the summer.

Preston are a team who will be hoping they do not have to wait until next campaign to get their promotion business done, with the Lilywhites among the pack of teams chasing down the top six with four games to go.

Ryan Lowe's men were dealt a massive blow in their playoff push on Saturday as they were beaten 2-0 at The Den by fifth-placed Millwall, with goals from Tom Bradshaw and Zian Flemming ending Preston's three-game winning run.

The Lilywhites probably wish Wednesday night's clash was at Deepdale - a place where they have not lost since the beginning of February, meaning they are six unbeaten on home soil.

Sitting eighth in the Championship league table and just a point behind Blackburn in sixth, Preston know a positive close to their regular season will give them the opportunity to fight for a place in the Premier League.

The Lilywhites have been less-than lethal in front of net this season, having scored just 41 goals in 42 matches - no team inside the division's top 18 has scored fewer than Lowe's charges.

Team News

Swansea's first-choice goalkeeper Steven Benda remains sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury, meaning Andy Fisher will once again deputise in the hosts' net on Wednesday.

Oliver Cooper is pushing for a start after replacing Olivier Ntcham at half time in the win over Huddersfield - the Welsh youngster has provided seven goal contributions during his first full season in the Championship.

Preston have a pair of strikers out for the remainder of the campaign, with Ched Evans and Emil Riis Jakobsen out of action due to illness and a cruciate ligament injury respectively.

Gregory Cunningham is expected back in early May after suffering a knee injury in the 4-0 loss at Middlesbrough in March, with Andrew Hughes set to once again partner Liam Lindsay and Jordan Storey in the Lilywhites' backline.

Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Fisher; Latibeaudiere, Cabango, Wood, Manning; Fulton, Grimes, Cullen, Cooper, Paterson; Piroe

Preston North End possible starting lineup:
Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Potts, Onomah, Whiteman, Johnson, Brady; Cannon, Delap

We say: Swansea City 1-0 Preston North End

Swansea have been playing with no fear over the past month and will be confident of earning their fifth win in six games by dispatching Preston on Wednesday night.

The Lilywhites will be desperate to head into Saturday's enormous clash with Blackburn after a positive result in this one, but we believe Lowe's men will taste defeat in back-to-back away matches.


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