PREVIEW: Swans v Kuban Krasnodar
24th October
The Swans will look to maintain their 100% record in Group A as they take on Kuban Krasnodar on Thursday (8.05pm).
Michael Laudrup's side sit top of their Europa League pool after back-to-back wins over Valencia and St Gallen.
If the home side can record another maximum on Thursday night then the Welsh club will already have one eye on the knockout stage.
Kuban, meanwhile, have struggled in Group A thus far, losing their first two games - both by a 2-0 margin.
That leaves the Russian side at the bottom heading into matchday three at the Liberty Stadium.
Kuban kicked off their maiden European campaign with four straight wins in qualifying, eliminating both Motherwell and Feyenoord on their way to the group stage.
The Russian side parted company with coach Dorinel Munteanu earlier this month, with Viktor Goncharenko taking over the managerial reigns.
The Belarusian ended a six-year stay with BATE Borisov, where he won five league titles and steered his side into the UEFA Champions League group stage three times - also becoming, at the age of 31, the youngest ever coach in Europe's premier competition.
TEAM NEWS
The Swans are expected to make changes to the side that beat Sunderland in the Premier League last Saturday, with Ben Davies already ruled out (ankle).
Ashley Williams is still ruled out, while Pablo Hernandez may well return after missing the last eight games.
MATCH STATS
- The two clubs are meeting for the first time and this is also Kuban's first encounter with Premier League opposition
- No Russian team has won in their last 19 visits to England (D5 L14) since FC Zenit won 3-0 at Bradford in the 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup
- Swansea are one of four sides yet to concede in this season's group stage, along with PFC Ludogorets Razgrad, Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham
- Kuban striker Djibril Cissé is well known in England, having played in the Premier League for Liverpool, Sunderland and Queens Park Rangers
- Kuban are one of four sides in the group stage who are disputing their first season in European competition along with Wigan, CS Pandurii Târgu Jiu and Estoril Praia
Did you know?
Swans winger Pablo Hernández and Kuban central defender Ángel Dealbert were team-mates at Valencia from 2009-12, earning three successive third-place La Liga finishes.
**There are still tickets available for Swansea's home fixtures against Kuban Krasnodar and West Ham United.
More information can be foundHERE
