Swansea return to the Liberty Stadium after two tricky away matches against Q.P.R. and Blackpool. The Swans have failed to score in their last two home matches so something will have to change if Paulo Sousa wants to get back to winning ways. Roy Keane’s men travel to South Wales in relatively good form. The Tractor Boys have won three out of their last five games which has helped them pull away from the relegation zone.
Vital Quotes:
Swansea striker Shefki Kuqi wants to score as many goals as possible tomorrow but has vowed not to perform his famous celebration. Kuqi told Swans Player: ‘I’ve got a job to do on Saturday and if I get a chance I will score as many as I can.
‘But I think I’ll keep the celebration quiet – Ipswich means a lot to me but I still have a job to do here.’
Roy Keane is looking for a reaction from his side after the 2-0 defeat to Plymouth on Tuesday. He told the official site: ‘We have to bounce back from what was a poor night against Plymouth.
‘I’m sure Paulo will be saying the same thing after their result and it should be a good game, especially the way Swansea play. They haven’t scored a lot of goals so it’s amazing in a way that they are where they are in the table but they have shown they are capable of winning games 1-0.
‘They deserve a lot of credit for where they are in the league. They are not only pretty to watch but pretty solid as well so we know what to expect.
‘But we have performed well against the teams in the top six this season and we have to do it again.’
Swansea City Team News:
Captain Garry Monk could return to the starting eleven after missing the last two matches with a calf problem whilst Joe Allen has returned to training and could be named in the squad. Andrea Orlandi is back following a hamstring injury but Ferrie Bodde (knee), Jordi Lopez (ankle), Fede Bessone (calf) and Albert Serran (hamstring) are still out.
Player to watch: Shefki Kuqi
The flying Finn made 83 appearances for Ipswich and every player enjoys doing well against their former employers. Kuqi has failed to find the net in his last four outings so he will be looking to put that right.
Ipswich Town Team News:
Richard Wright and Luciano Civelli are struggling with knee injuries and have been left home. Connor Wickham is on international duty with the England Under-17 squad but there is some good news for Roy Keane. David Healy, Owen Garvan, Jaime Peters and Grant Leadbitter are all available for the trip to the Liberty Stadium.
Player to watch: Daryl Murphy
The striker has hit the ground running after joining Ipswich on loan from Sunderland in January. Murphy has scored six goals in twelve appearances and has been capped nine times by the Republic of Ireland.
Match Facts & Stats:
Form guide
Swansea City: WDLDL
Ipswich Town: WWLWL
David Cotterill is set to make his 150th career league appearance.
Ipswich have drawn more Championship games this season than any other team (17) but have not drawn any of their last six matches.
Previous meeting
Ipswich 1-1 Swansea
Counago 15 – Beattie 7
Portman Road
Saturday 17 October 2009
Match Prediction:
The players will bounce back after the horror show on Tuesday and cement our place in the play-offs. 1-0 to the Swans.
Next Fixture:
Cardiff City vs. Swansea City
Cardiff City Stadium (how on earth did they come up with that name?)
Saturday 3 April 2010
17:20
