Swansea City latest & Hull City boss on his admiration for Matt Grimes
Saturday, 25th Nov 2023 06:38 by Liam Walters & Keith Haynes

Swansea City at last return to action this afternoon hosting Hull City ( KO 3pm ) in the EFL Championship. This after six weeks of inaction due to International breaks since mid September. Head coach Michael has stated this week that behind the scenes ‘issues’ have affected not only his team selections but haven’t helped his genuine attempts to stabilise the squad.

The Swans are without Nathan Wood ( it’s likely we won’t see him until at least February ) Joe Allen ( late December, more likely January ) Mykola Kukharevych ( end December ) Azeem Abdulai ( same ) Josh Ginnelly ( out for the season ) and Josh Key ( expected back in around two weeks ) That isn’t a good injury list when you consider all would be in and around the first eleven.

Other than that the Swans have a number of first team options, the defence is holding its own with a variety of selections available. The Jo front situation is looking likely to include Jerry Yates and Jamal Lowe are options but the Swans are without suspended Liam Cullen today. The midfield would look more attacking if Charlie Patino starts today, and we expect that to be the case. In the unlikely event of time travel being invented this week, attacking forward Kristian Fletcher won’t be included. He has chosen to return to the USA for Thanksgiving, that seemed a rather odd decision based on how close he has been to a first team call up. He must have been told he wouldn’t be an option for todays game. Especially with Cullen out.

Hull boss Liam Rosenior appraised his sides efforts so far this season whilst also reviewing the Swans dangerman today. They're a good football team. Their form in the last few games has been really good. They were unfortunate to lose at Ipswich which we know is a really tough place to go. Michael has had his time where he's been able to imprint what he wants a little bit more, it takes managers time and they've got some outstanding technical players.

"I worked with Jamie Paterson, I think Matt Grimes is one of the best midfield players in the league, (Jamal) Lowe is a threat on any day, Jerry Yates who they signed from Blackpool gives them a lot of legs and energy in behind, they've got a lot of good players like every team does in the Championship, but we'll go to Swansea and play in exactly the same way we always do.

"Every team has its own strengths and weaknesses. You've got to deal with what's in front of you and that's the Championship. We went away to Leicester and won, we went away to Ipswich and lost 3-0 - that's the Championship. We have to be consistent in what we do and if we do that - you can't take games in isolation, it's about a block of 46 games - for me, we could win at Swansea, we could lose at Swansea, we beat Rotherham on Tuesday and we could lose to Rotherham, it's the same for every team in this league. We have to focus on what we're good at."

Liam is right of course, and people should remember that the Humberside club put in an anwful effort last season where they were despatched 3-0 at the Swansea.Com Stadium. A lot has changed since then and the appointment of Rosenior. "I've had to build this team from a place of fighting against relegation. It's almost like we're in the third phase. The first phase was our defensive solidity, being organised and hard to beat, the second phase was being dominant in terms of our build and possession and the third phase now is finishing off that dominance. It's a process and it takes time."

Hull start todays game in eighth, the Swans in seventeenth in the table. However the gap between them is minimal. At this time of the season the Championship starts to sort itself out, a loss for the Swans today would see them slip away from closing that gap. Hull will be determined to take the points in a game that is very hard to predict.

More game day news and the teams later.