Preview: Swansea City vs Sheffield United - prediction, team news, lineups

Both aiming to recover from losses to start the Championship season last weekend, Swansea City and Sheffield United will do battle at the Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday.

The hosts bounced back with a midweek EFL Cup victory, while their visitors have fallen to two consecutive defeats under the new management of Ruben Selles.

Match preview

Swansea will go in search of their first points of the 2025-26 Championship season on Saturday, having failed to get off the mark in their curtain-raiser last weekend.

Heading into their first full campaign under the guidance of Alan Sheehan, who oversaw their final 12 outings last term with the Welsh outfit eventually finishing 11th having amassed 23 points from those games under the then-interim boss.

The Swans began the new term with a tough trip to Middlesbrough last weekend, and they left the Riverside Stadium empty-handed as Dael Fry netted the only goal of the game early in the second half.

Sheehan's men then headed into EFL Cup action at home to fourth-tier Crawley Town on Tuesday and recorded a first victory to advance, as Ronald and Bobby Wales had them 2-0 up and Ethan Galbraith put the game out of sight in injury time after Kabongo Tshimanga pulled one back for the visitors.

They will now aim to make it back-to-back victories on home turf to put their first three points on the board on Saturday.

In their way stand a visiting side also keen to get up and running in the Championship and record a first victory at the third time of asking under new management.

Sheffield United headed into the 2025-26 term under new boss Ruben Selles, with Chris Wilder having departed over the summer following a third-placed finish and eventual 2-1 playoff final defeat to Sunderland.

Aiming to go one better and seal their return to the top flight at the second time of asking, the Blades began at home to Bristol City, who they beat 6-0 in last season's playoff semi-finals, but Selles's side found themselves on the wrong end of a 4-1 beating, despite drawing level through Tyrese Campbell in the 14th minute.

Ross McCrorie quickly put the visitors back ahead and Emil Riis Jakobsen and Scott Twine added second-half goals, before the South Yorkshire outfit visited Birmingham City on Wednesday and dropped out of the EFL Cup following a 2-1 defeat, with Jay Stansfield firing the Blues through in the 87th minute after Gustavo Hamer drew his side level from long range.

Now left wounded by a slow start to their new era, and keen to avoid quickly losing ground to fellow promotion-chasers, Sheffield United will be desperate to get up and running with an away victory on Saturday.

Swansea City Championship form:

Swansea City form (all competitions):

Sheffield United Championship form:

Sheffield United form (all competitions):

Team News

Swansea City will remain without new defender Ricardo Santos on Saturday due to an injury, although Ben Cabango should be fit to feature alongside Cameron Burgess after being forced off against Middlesbrough and missing their midweek cup tie.

Alan Sheehan has a decision to make at the other end of the pitch, with Liam Cullen and Zan Vipotnik both competing to lead the line after netting 12 and seven goals respectively last season.

Ji-sung Eom and Ronald will offer attacking threat from the wings, while summer signing Ethan Galbraith will again join Goncalo Franco in midfield.

Sheffield United are unable to call on midfielders Oliver Arblaster, Tom Davies and Jamie Shackleton on Saturday due to ongoing injuries, and Ruben Selles may opt to make changes to the side that lost 4-1 to Bristol City last weekend after heavy midweek rotation.

Djibril Soumare will hope to keep his place in midfield after making his Blades debut against Birmingham following a loan move from Braga, while Jack Robinson and Tyler Bindon should partner up in defence.

Louie Barry and Tyrese Campbell are both expected to return to the attack from the outset, with key man Gustavo Hamer also bound to retake a spot after his long-range goal off the bench on Wednesday.

Swansea City possible starting lineup:

Vigouroux; Key, Burgess, Cabango, Tymon; Franco, Galbraith; Ronald, Cullen, Eom; Vipotnik

Sheffield United possible starting lineup:

Cooper; Seriki, Bindon, Robinson, Burrows; Soumare, Peck, Hamer; O'Hare, Campbell, Barry

We say: Swansea City 1-1 Sheffield United

Keen to get up and running after a tough start to life under Ruben Selles, we back Sheffield United to at least take a point on their travels at the weekend and predict a share of the spoils in South Wales.

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