Preview: Swansea City vs Wrexham - prediction, team news, lineups

Wrexham will travel to the Swansea.com Stadium to face fellow Welsh side Swansea City in Friday’s Championship contest.

The Red Dragons will head into the game in 15th place, while the Swans are in 19th position in the Championship table.

Match preview

Swansea are sitting five points adrift of Friday’s opponents and four points clear of the bottom three after winning six, drawing five and losing 10 of their 21 Championship matches.

Vitor Matos has overseen two of those victories in his first five matches since being appointed as Alan Sheehan’s permanent successor.

After starting with back-to-back defeats, Matos guided his team to consecutive home victories against Oxford United and Portsmouth without conceding.

However, the Swans were brought down to earth by last Saturday’s narrow 2-1 defeat against promotion-chasing Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium.

Zan Vipotnik halved the deficit in the 77th minute, but his eighth league goal of the season proved to be a consolation as Swansea fell to a fourth consecutive away loss.

In fact, they have not won an away game since September, so they will be looking forward to returning to home turf for their first meeting with Wrexham since the 2006 FAW Cup final and their first EFL encounter since March 2003.

Wrexham will be desperate to return to winning ways after failing to win any of their previous four matches since getting the better of Bristol City last month.

After playing out back-to-back 1-1 draws, Wrexham went on to lose 2-0 to Hull City before rescuing a point in their most recent outing against Watford.

Josh Windass’s opener was followed by two Watford goals before Ollie Rathbone netted a 92nd-minute equaliser to salvage a 2-2 draw at the Racecourse Ground.

Rathbone’s first goal of the season also made it eight consecutive Championship home games without defeat (W4, D4).

That represents a significant contrast to their away form, which has seen them draw five and lose two of their last seven road trips since beating Norwich City 3-1 at Carrow Road on September 20.

Wrexham have struggled to trouble the scorers on their travels, having netted just nine times in their 10 Championship away games.

Swansea City Championship form:

L L L W W L

Wrexham Championship form:

D W D D L D

Team News

Swansea are unable to call upon Burnley loanee, Manuel Benson, who is away with the Angola squad preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Josh Key could come into the side to operate on the right side of a back four, which would release Ethan Galbraith to play in the middle of the park.

Melker Widell is also pushing for a starting spot after coming off the bench to provide the assist for Vipotnik’s late goal in the defeat to Stoke.

As for Wrexham, they remain without Danny Ward, Issa Kabore, Lewis Brunt, Andy Cannon, Elliot Lee and Jay Rodriguez.

Friday’s game may also come too soon for wing-back Liberato Cacace, who is working his way back from a calf problem.

Ben Sheaf and Nathan Broadhead are options to start if Parkinson decides to alter his side for the trip to the Swansea.com Stadium.

Swansea City possible starting lineup:

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

Wrexham possible starting lineup:

Okonkwo; Cleworth, Hyam, Doyle; Longman, Dobson, Sheaf, O’Brien, McClean; Windass; Moore, Broadhead

We say: Swansea City 1-1 Wrexham

Wrexham may be winless in seven away games, but they have seen five of those matches finish all square, and with that in mind, we think the visitors will do enough to prevent Swansea from recording a third consecutive home win.

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