Swansea could move into promotion places with a victory at Ewood Park

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Steve Cooper’s Swans head to Lancashire after back-to-back wins and will want to make it three in a row against Tony Mowbray’s side.

After a disastrous home capitulation at the hands of Nigel Pearson’s Bristol City, Swansea have recovered well with 2-1 wins against Stoke and Middlesbrough in order to put their promotion aspirations back on track.

The Welsh club have been in and around the automatic spots for most of the season but recent poor defeats against the Robins and Huddersfield Town have raised questions over their ability to maintain the form required to return to the Premier League.

Elsewhere, Tuesday’s hosts Blackburn will be without talisman Adam Armstrong and Jarrad Branthwaite who are both set to miss the game through injury and illness.

Whilst Branthwaite, on loan from Everton, is back in training this week, Mowbray believes it will be too soon to see him back in the squad as Rovers look to recover their form after just one win in their last eight games.

Mowbray has been unfortunate throughout the season with the number of injuries with an entire first team back four missing at one stage in the season, however, fans are growing increasingly disgruntled as a side with play-off ambitions at the start of the season, has faltered into mid table obscurity.

The Swans have two games in hand on their promotion rivals Watford and it is vital now more than ever that they built a run of victories in order to cement top flight status for the 2021/22 season.

Their next three fixtures are all away from the Liberty Stadium and they will look to top scorer Andre Ayew to provide the winning touch with three goals in his last four and 13 for the campaign so far.

Although Blackburn will be disappointed to be missing Armstrong again for this one, they finally got back to winning ways at the Den against Millwall on the weekend with Bradley Dack and Sam Gallagher providing the goals in a solid 2-0 victory.

Showing their capability to pick up three massive points as they were sleepwalking into a relegation fight without many of their top stars, will have provided the squad and the manager with a much needed confidence lift.

Blackburn have tended to perform better against the top sides this season, whilst struggling against those fighting it out at the bottom of the table, however the weekend victory served a huge purpose in Mowbray portraying the trust he feels is needed in the process.

“I thought the players worked hard and felt the level of performance was around where we’ve been,” Mowbray said.

“After the run we’ve been on, it wasn’t evident to me that that was a team lacking confidence and belief.”

The visitors to Ewood Park put in a tough shift to overcome Neil Warnock’s Middlesbrough at home. It was a victory that showcased their promotion credentials against a resolute, much-improved Boro side.

“Sometimes you have to accept the game for what is it, roll up your sleeves and win,” Cooper said.

“It’s pure hard work and spirit, and the pride to play for the football club.”

Both teams are going into this one off the back of positive momentum, but with the quality and energy of this Swansea side combined with the ongoing injury concerns and lack of consistency from Blackburn, you cannot see past anything other than an away victory.

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