Andre Ayew will miss his third match on Saturday away at Stoke City
Andre Ayew will miss his third match on Saturday away at Stoke City, but is expected to return for Chelsea at home.
The Ghana international has missed the last two games with an ankle injury and has not won the fitness race to feature at Stoke, as Guidolin’s side look to absolutely guarantee their Premier League safety.
However, he is expected to be back in action the following Saturday when the Swans host Chelsea – who will be without the suspended striker due to suspension.
Guidolin confirmed in the pre-match press conference that Ayew is still out.
“He [Ayew] is not fit,”
“He is getting better, but is not ready for Saturday. He could be ready for the game against Chelsea.”
With Ayew still unavailable for selection, head coach Guidolin has some decisions to make on his formation and line-up for the trip to Stoke this weekend.
His questionable choices in the win against Aston Villa will surely need some adjusting. Sigurdsson on the left didn’t work, while Barrow and Gomis up top was also disjointed and unbalanced to say the least.
Barrow is a must starter now, as Guidolin attempted to fit him into a narrow diamond despite him being a pacey out and out winger. Sigurdsson too is also a must starter and he was out of position against Villa. Together with wanting to field a midfield three, the side struggled, but picked up the win nevertheless.
You’d have thought that Ayew’s absence would help to field a more balanced side – particularly if the choice of formation is 4-2-3-1, as Ayew has often made the team unbalanced when playing on the wing.
What changes should Guidolin make for Stoke City? What would your starting line-up be? Let us know your thoughts below…
