Swans look to avenge humiliating FA Cup exit

Swansea City welcome Championship strugglers Queens Park Rangers to the Liberty Stadium with both sides finding it difficult to consistently maintain form in the league.

The sides last met in January during the FA cup third round tie at Loftus Road where QPR convincingly beat Steve Cooper’s men 5-1.

But both sides have struggled for results since then with both teams only managing one victory in their last five games where wins are crucial for the respective clubs.

Swansea are sitting four points off the play off places having failed to maintain their lead against visiting side Derby County on Saturday who currently hold the 6th place position that the swans so desperately want.

Mark Warburton’s side have a nine point cushion from the relegation zone which would suggest they are safe for the time being, but after recent performances and the desire of their opponents today, anything could happen.

TEAM NEWS

Swansea starlet Bersant Celina looks set to miss out on selection for todays fixture after pulling himself out of training last week, resulting in him also missing the loss to Derby.

Mike Van Der Hoorn continues to sit on the sideline with his knee injury and wont be involved in the game, whereas Jordan Garrick briefly returned for the u23’s this week but is unlikely to be risked tonight.

George Byers is the main worry for swans fans as he came off at half time on Saturday with an ankle injury, being replaced by goalscorer Yan Dhanda.

Byers will be assessed ahead of the QPR clash at some point today to decide whether he will be involved in the game.

Ranger’s boss Mark Warburton could give Tottenham loanee Jack Clarke his first start in order to shake up his attacking options.

Clarke who signed for Spurs in the summer was initially re-loaned to his former club Leeds but failed to appear in many games, resulting in his temporary move to Loftus Road in January.

From The Dugout:

Steve Cooper quotes (from club website)

“We have to get back to winning ways. We have talked about making the most of what is in front of us, and that does not change even though we lost at the weekend.

“The focus has to be on getting a result against QPR, we have got to stay in and amongst it (in the table) and the only way to do that is to win games.

“They’re a good football team and they play in a good way. Like always we’ll have to be aware of where their strengths are.

“But we’ve got to bounce back, we’re at home and we’ve got to show a lot better aspects of our game than we did against Derby, and if we do that we give ourselves a chance.”

“But there’s a game on Tuesday and we have to be strong enough to dust ourselves off and get our head around the next two games, with QPR up first, and we have to stand up and be counted.”

 

Mark Warburton quotes (from club website)

“They’re a good footballing team. Within their ranks they have players with Premier League experience, whether that is Ayew, Routledge or Naughton. They have very good players from front to back.

“They had a good home run up until the weekend – they had won the previous four or five. We know what we face but we have shown already how good we can be against them.

“They know we are dangerous. They know the threat we pose and we have to go there and try to dominate the football, impose ourselves on the game and try to play it our way. We want to play at our tempo and get our rewards, of course.”

 

HEAD TO HEAD

Games played: 48

Swansea wins: 15

Draws: 13

QPR wins: 20

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