While their search for a permanent successor to Michael Duff rumbles on into the New Year, Swansea City will welcome promotion-chasing West Bromwich Albion to the Swansea.com Stadium in the Championship.
The Welsh side earned a last-gasp point in the East Midlands at Coventry City last time out, while the Baggies made a big statement by collecting maximum points from Leeds United on Friday night.
Match preview
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After a 5-0 mauling at Russell Martin's Southampton on Boxing Day, the onus was firmly on Swansea City to produce a respectable display at the Coventry Building Society Arena in what was Alan Sheehan's sixth game as interim boss following the sacking of former Barnsley man Duff at the beginning of December.
Handed a place in the starting XI at Coventry, Liam Walsh took just seven minutes to repay Sheehan's faith and net his third of the season, although the Swans needed an added-time free kick from Josh Cullen to ensure a share of the spoils, with Haji Wright and Ellis Simms netting either side of the half-time interval during both sides' final match of 2023.
On a night when 17-year-old Sam Parker started his first-team career for Swansea, the Jack Army were calling for the end of Sam Watson's reign as sporting director at the Welsh side, with the search for Duff's replacement set to rumble into a period in which the club should realistically be focusing on player recruitment ahead of the January transfer window.
A record of eight points from six matches under the interim stewardship of Sheehan has the Swans sitting in 17th place in the second-tier standings just after the halfway point, with Monday's hosts possessing a nine-point buffer over Marti Cifuentes's Queens Park Rangers who are lying in 22nd as we head into the New Year.
Swansea have the opportunity to record back-to-back home wins should they get the better of West Brom on New Year's Day, with a Jamie Paterson brace sealing a dramatic 2-1 win over Ryan Lowe's Preston North End at the Swansea.com Stadium on December 22 - just four days before the Swans' horror show on the South Coast.
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Defeats in high-profile fixtures against league leaders Leicester City, Sunderland and Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough over the past month had thrown West Brom's promotion-gaining potential into doubt, but successive home victories over Norwich City and Leeds United have boosted their chances of a top-six finish significantly.
On an evening when Championship veterans Jed Wallace and John Swift ran the show against Daniel Farke's Whites, it was the tricky Grady Diangana who provided the game-winning moment, although the former West Ham United youngster knew little about his finish as it cannoned off his foot and past Karl Darlow in the visitors' net.
The collection of six points since Boxing Day has seen Albion move within three points of Leeds in fourth, with Carlos Corberan's side occupying fifth position in the Championship standings as the world welcomes in 2024, sitting 12 points behind second-placed Ipswich Town who have stuttered in recent weeks, winning just one of their last five fixtures.
Similar to last season, West Brom are significantly weaker on their travels than compared to at their Hawthorns home, having won just four of their 12 second-tier outings, although the Baggies were successful on a recent trip to South Wales, beating Cardiff City thanks to an outrageous curler from Brighton & Hove Albion loanee Jeremy Sarmiento in late November.
Albion's last visit to the Swansea.com Stadium in May ended in a defeat which condemned the Black Country outfit to a third-straight season of Championship football, although the 3-2 loss due to a late Joel Piroe winner did not technically matter to the Baggies, as Sunderland's win at Preston North End on the same day secured the last top-six place for the Black Cats.
Team News
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Swansea boss Sheehan provided an update on the fitness of full-back Josh Key following the Coventry draw, and the defender is expected to be sidelined with a muscle injury for at least a month.
Attacker Paterson was taken off at half time in the East Midlands on Friday as he struggled with illness, so Jamal Lowe could take his spot in the starting XI on Monday.
Arsenal loanee Charlie Patino has struggled for game time with Jay Fulton and Matt Grimes currently ahead of him in the midfield pecking order, despite the youngster being linked with a move to Italian giants Juventus.
After a brilliant cameo against Leeds on Friday, Swift is expected to take a spot in the visitors' starting side, possibly at the expense of Jayson Molumby.
With news circulating that West Brom do not possess the option to recall Karlan Grant from his long spell at Cardiff, the season-ending injury of Josh Maja will be even more of a concern.
Semi Ajayi was preferred to veteran Kyle Bartley as the partner for Cedric Kipre at centre-back last time out, and the Nigerian should have done enough to keep his place in Corberan's XI.
Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Rushworth; Darling, Cabango, Humphreys, Tymon; Fulton, Grimes, Lowe, Yates, Walsh; Bolasie
West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:
Palmer; Furlong, Bartley, Kipre, Townsend; Yokuslu, Mowatt; Wallace, Swift, Diangana; Thomas-Asante
We say: Swansea City 1-2 West Bromwich Albion
Swansea were improved in their 2-2 draw at Coventry last time out, but the Welsh club have struggled for consistency under the stewardship of Sheehan.
The Baggies dispatched Norwich and Leeds with relative ease to round off a promising 2023 on the pitch, and we believe that the Baggies will commence the new year on the right note.
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Top tip
Carter White
