Swansea Preview

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Team News:

City were this week hit by news that Mitch Ward has suffered a recurrence of the thigh strain which has kept him out of the last two matches, and as a result Stephen Brackstone, goalscorer at the weekend, is likely to keep his place in midfield alongside Lee Bullock and Darren Dunning. Another midfielder, Christian Fox, is almost match-fit but will probably be named as a substitute rather than break into the starting eleven. Manager Chris Brass may well name an unchanged side from the one which fought back to draw at Leyton Orient, or he may decide that, of the two temporary strikers at the club, loanee Jon Shaw has done enough to replace Gary Browne.

Richard Hope, a virtual ever-present in City's campaign so far this season, is playing his last match before a suspension that will see him miss next week's trip to Darlington after acquiring five yellow cards. As Hope's brief ban begins, however, Jon Parkin's lengthier spell on the sidelines will come to an end, though he will be serving the fourth and final match of his suspension for Saturday's clash with Swansea. Steve Downes is still recovering from knee ligament damage, and Levent Yalcin's recurring groin troubles look set to keep him out of action until next year. To add to this, Aron Wilford picked up a knock in training and will be out for a short period of time.

Likely starting line-up: Ovendale; Smith, Brass, Hope; Edmondson, Brackstone, Bullock, Dunning, Merris; Nogan, Browne.

Swansea will be forced into making at least one change to the side that overcame Darlington last at the Vetch Field last Saturday, as striker Daniel Nardiello has returned to Manchester United following his one-month loan period, and his probable replacement up front alongside the free-scoring Lee Trundle will be Kevin Nugent. However, Defender Alan Tate, also on loan from Manchester United, will be staying at the club for a further month, and another defender Izzy Iriekpen has signed an extension to his three-month contract which will keep him at the club until 2005 after impressing during his initial short-term deal. Both Tate and Iriekpen are expected to start at Bootham Crescent.

On the injury front, midfielder Roberto Martinez may recover in time to make the trip up North, but Brad Maylett and Karl Connolly are believed to still be a couple of weeks from match fitness. Stuart Jones and Leon Hylton are rated as doubtful for the encounter, and the most likely scenario is that neither will start and Brian Flynn will stick with the side that triumphed 1-0 at the weekend to cement the Swans' place inside the play-off zone.

Likely starting line-up: Freestone, Howard, Duffy, Iriekpen, Tate, Britton, Johnrose, Durkan, Robinson, Trundle, Nugent.


Form guide:

City last five: Oxford (h) D 2-2, Scunthorpe (a) D 0-0, Cheltenham (a) D 1-1, Doncaster (h) W 1-0, Leyton Orient (a) D 2-2.

Swansea last five: Cambridge (h) L 0-2, Rochdale (a) W 1-0, Bristol Rovers (h) D 0-0, Northampton (a) L 1-2, Darlington (h) W 1-0.


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