By Paul Jones
Swansea City will be boosted for their derby clash against Cardiff City on Saturday by the return of Joe Allen, Jay Fulton, and Joel Latibeaudiere.
While Allen missed the win over Bristol City due to an injury, Fulton and Latibeaudiere were serving suspensions.
The trio’s comeback has given the Swans a lift as they aim to continue their impressive run in derby matches, having won the past three.
Head coach Russell Martin confirmed that the squad was almost complete, with the exception of Steven Benda, who is still unavailable.
“It’s great news that Joe Allen is back, and he will definitely be a key player for us. He has experienced this occasion and understands the game, which is important,” Martin said.
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Regarding the international players, Martin explained that they have all returned to training, but Olivier Ntcham will need to be assessed after his recent travels to represent Cameroon in their African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Namibia.
“We are in a good position with Jay and Lats back in contention, and we will have the strongest bench we’ve had since I joined the club,” added Martin.
“We have some tough decisions to make regarding the selection, but we welcome the challenge,” Martin added.
Captain Matt Grimes says he recognises the importance of winning the derby for Swansea’s players, staff, and supporters.
However, he believes Martin’s squad must forget about recent history and approach Saturday’s game against Cardiff with a fresh mindset.
On this day: 2010
Cardiff City 2-1 Swansea City
Scenes. pic.twitter.com/xCmc8XmpS2
— Inside Cardiff City (@InsideCCFC) April 3, 2018
The Swans are aiming to secure their fourth consecutive victory in the fixture, having achieved a league double against Cardiff for the first time at the same venue last season.
Grimes is preparing for his eighth derby appearance and has captained the Swans in all seven of his previous outings.
He led his team to five victories and a draw, so he understands the significance of derby day.
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Despite their recent successes, Grimes has reminded his teammates that they must start afresh.
“Derby wins mean the world to us and to everyone connected with the club,” he said.
“These are games that stand by themselves. There are three points at stake, but really there is actually far more at stake in terms of pride and how you can make your supporters feel about their club.”
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Grimes is excited for the game and acknowledges that the outcome depends on who can implement their style and manage their emotions the better.
He is confident that Swansea are capable of providing their fans with a fourth successive victory.
“The away end is sold out, and it’s the biggest game of the season, which adds an extra edge,” he said.
“I have been fortunate enough to have been on the right side of some scorelines in these games. The derby holds fond memories, but it’s a clean slate, and we need to front up and try and do it again.”
Cardiff City news as Lamouchi outlines blueprint for derby success against Swansea and new date set for Rotherham clash #CardiffCity #Bluebirds #CCFC https://t.co/MTgq82wRRL
— Cardiff City Fans (@CardiffFCNews) March 30, 2023