Preview | Swansea City v Ipswich Town
Swansea City will be looking to produce a much-improved performance when they host Ipswich Town at the Swansea.com Stadium this afternoon (3pm).
The Swans suffered a 4-0 defeat against Leeds United in midweek, with head coach Luke Williams urging his side to show more aggression and intensity in their play.
They host a Tractor Boys side who are in the hunt for back-to-back promotions having made a stunning start to life back in the second tier following promotion from League One.
Team news
The Swans will wait on the fitness of Bashir Humphreys after the defender was forced off during the second half of the defeat to Leeds United, although Kyle Naughton was fit enough for a place on the bench in midweek after suffering cramp at Hull.
The hosts are set to be without Harry Darling, Josh Key, Liam Walsh, Azeem Abdulai, Josh Ginnelly, Sam Parker, Jamal Lowe and Harrison Ashby.
Pre-match views
Luke Williams: "The players have been brilliant in how hard they work. We just need to keep putting the repetitions and the practice in, and we then have to go and put that work out on the pitch.
“Of course, I was upset after the game in midweek, but there is no issue with the application of the players and how they are working.
“But I am telling them and everyone that we have to start playing football and thinking about the game at a higher level so we can try and compete, not just be in this division but make a fist of it.
“We absolutely have to get back to work, we do not have time to sit and sulk or dwell on the game in midweek.
“We have to go and work and put in a much better performance.”
Kieran McKenna: “We know it will take a big physical effort but it’s a game to look forward to in a busy spell of the season where the games come thick and fast. We relish that.
“Luke (Williams) hasn’t been there for too long but you can see exactly what they are trying to do, as an aggressive team on and off the ball.
"They have a good tradition as a football team for playing nice football and it’s a nice pitch in a nice stadium, so it should make for a good game.
“We’ll go there looking to impose themselves and they will do the same for sure, so it will be an interesting game.
“Swansea have been a good Championship team and were a Premier League club not that many years ago, so it’s one we should look forward to and one the supporters should hopefully enjoy.”
Meet the officials
John Busby will be the referee at the Swansea.com Stadium this afternoon.
It will be the eighth time the Oxfordshire-based official has overseen a Swans match following his promotion to Select Group 2 in the summer of 2021.
Remember the last time?
The Swans fell to a frustrating 3-2 defeat on Ipswich Town's last visit to SA1 as the Tractor Boys claimed their first Championship win of the 2018-19 season at the 12th attempt.
Graham Potter's side made a bright start and had led courtesy of Janoi Donacien's own goal after eight minutes.
The hosts looked good value for their lead, but Ipswich struck twice in four minutes to take a shock lead.
It was former Swansea youngster Gwion Edwards who was at the heart of both goals. First, he headed home Freddie Sears' cross after 27 minutes, before his own cross was deflected in by Mike van der Hoorn.
The Swans pushed and pushed, and they finally got an equaliser with 11 minutes left as Bersant Celina fired in his first goal for the club at the end of a flowing length-of-the-field attack.
But Ipswich had one more trick up their sleeve, with Trevoh Chalabah heading home from a corner in the 84th minute.
Prime Numbers
7 - Swansea City are unbeaten in seven of their last nine meetings with Ipswich Town, winning four of them.
21 - Twenty-one of the 32 meetings between the two sides have been league fixtures in the second tier of the football pyramid.