BARNSLEY, ENGLAND - JANUARY 16: Steve Cooper, Head Coach of Swansea City celebrates victory on the final whistle during the Sky Bet Championship match between Barnsley and Swansea City at Oakwell Stadium on January 16, 2021 in Barnsley, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
The FA Cup is set to return to action with an intriguing round of fourth-round fixtures as Swansea City play host to Championship rivals Nottingham Forest at the Liberty Stadium.
Steve Cooper’s side head into Saturday’s cup tie high on confidence on the back of a 2-0 victory away at Barnsley, thanks to goals from Ben Cabango and Jamal Lowe. Forest, on the other hand, will be hoping to recover from a disappointing 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough.
The Swans had the last laugh the last time they met the Reds in the Championship, beating Chris Hughton’s side 1-0. Swansea and Forest have played each other only once in the history of the FA Cup, with the Welsh outfit winning 2-1 in 1929.
Cooper doesn’t have too many injuries to contend with heading into the cup tie against Forest. German goalkeeper Steven Benda and on-loan defender Ryan Bennett are both nursing injuries. Apart from that, the manager is expected to have a fully fit squad at his disposal on Saturday.
The Newcastle loanee registered his 14th clean sheet in the Championship this season in the 2-0 win over Barnsley and should definitely start ahead of Ben Hamer at the weekend.
The veteran put in a solid shift at the back in the last game. He has been a key squad player for the Swans at the back throughout the campaign.
The Welsh starlet was at the top of his game against Barnsley and should be high on confidence after scoring in the 2-0 win.
The Chelsea loanee has been among the first names on Cooper’s team sheet and should find himself in the mix once again on Saturday.
The Welshman has been a standout performer for the Swans in that right wing-back role and will be hoping to continue his good work.
The former QPR man has struggled for game time in the Championship, so Cooper might as well rotate his squad and hand him an opportunity to shine in the cup.
The Scotsman has been a key cog in Swansea’s midfield engine and should retain his place in the starting XI after a dominant display against Barnsley.
The former Bristol City man has been a regular fixture for the Swans this season, impressing in a variety of roles in the midfield.
The former Liverpool youngster has made quite an impression in that No.10 role and Saturday’s cup tie presents a window of opportunity for Cooper to hand him more game time.
The veteran has been a peripheral figure in the Championship but started in the victory over Stevenage in the previous round of the FA Cup.
The former Wigan man has been in unstoppable form in front of goal, having scored 7 times in his last 7 games for the Swans.