Swansea City v Southampton : FA Cup match day build up and teams
Saturday, 8th Jan 2022 09:00 by Gruff Stephens

Swansea City take on Southampton behind closed doors this evening at the Swansea.Com stadium in the FA Cup. Both sides are depleted with players testing positive for Covid. However fans can watch the game LIVE on the BBC today.

This news report will be updated throughout the day.

Swansea will include several players from their under 23 side and also will fill the gaps in the first eleven with names which haven’t been seen for quite a while in what Russell Martin described as a ‘strong a side as we can put out’ yesterday. Two key players reported back from Covid isolation on Wednesday but cannot be considered for the game, that leaves Russell Martin down to the squads bare bones for this fixture. Martin said on Thursday “ I love the FA Cup, the build up the whole thing, I know the times and schedules change things, but it’s the FA Cup, we all remember it as kids, it’s the same now”

Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse has commented on the lack of fans at today’s game “I think that was the one thing that was difficult to get used to at the start was the lack of atmosphere.” He continued: “But once you’re in the game and in the moment you soon forget about it and have to concentrate on your job so we will see, it’s an ever changing time and at the minute we don’t know.” On the Covid issue he said “The situation with COVID is very difficult. It’s changing all the time, day-to-day. We don’t know what restrictions are going to be in place or what’s coming next. All we can do is control what we know we can control and that’s adhering to the protocols and making sure that everybody is safe within our bubble, and to ensure that we have as many fit players ready and available to play”

“Fans or no fans, we are used to it both ways.”

Both sides will have senior players out, and Southampton, despite their own issues pre match are expected to win this game and progress to the fourth round.

The winners today will receive £82,000 plus Swansea City will receive £87,000 from the BBC. Southampton as the away team also receive an undisclosed dividend as agreed last year by the BBC for away teams competing in the FA Cup.

Watch Swansea v Southampton on BBC Wales, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website, plus the rest of Saturday's FA Cup games, including match highlights.