Swansea City

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux says Swansea City must use their final five games of the season as a springboard for success in the next campaign, beginning with Saturday's trip to relegation-threatened Leicester City (15:00 BST).

Swansea are comfortably mid-table in the Championship, seemingly with little to play for, but Vigouroux says the squad feels it has a point to prove.

"I think we're a massive club. We deserve to be a lot higher in the league and we know that as players," he said.

"But I think it's building blocks and I think we started off really well with the new manager (Vitor Matos), especially at home. You know we're really tough to beat and now we need to translate that form away from home and get as many points as we can.

"Some guys are trying to earn new contracts, some guys are trying to build their way into the team, for example like Sam (Parker) who was outstanding on the weekend, these are the kind of games for him that if he does really well, he can then become a really really important part of our squad.

"So these are the kind of moments, these kind of games where you can get as many points as you can, leave the season in a good place and then you're raring to go for next season."

The 32-year-old Chile goalkeeper has experienced a similar situation before with former club Leyton Orient.

Like the Swans, a change of manager during the season saw a period of upheaval that ultimately laid the foundations for future success.

"It's so important because then you know each other's strengths," he added.

"I had the same when I was at Leyton Orient... a manager left in the middle of the season, a new manager came in and then we've done really well towards the end of the season, and then the season after we won the league.

"It was literally because we had played together for that last 10 games. He didn't make too many changes, there were maybe one or two coming in.

"We knew what we were playing with, who we were playing with, and I think there's nothing to say that that can't happen here.

"We've got a really good group of players that know their jobs. They know each other's strengths and weaknesses inside out."

The latest news and views on The Swans in two minutes, every weekday afternoon.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Image source, Getty Images

The EFL has announced the fixtures for the 2026-27 season will be published at midday on Thursday, 25 June.

The first-round draws for the Carabao Cup and the Vertu Trophy will be made on the same day.

The new season will kick off on the weekend of August 7-9 with the first round of the Carabao Cup, and the opening fixtures in the Championship, League One and League Two will follow a week later on 14-16 August.

The first round of the Vertu Trophy will be played in the week commencing 21 September.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Striker Liam Cullen's stunning effort in Swansea City's victory over Stoke City has been nominated for the Championship Goal of the Month award for March.

After Championship top scorer Zan Vipotnik had opened the scoring for the hosts, Wales international Cullen fired beyond goalkeeper Tommy Simkin in the final stages of the Swans' 2-0 victory over the Potters at Swansea.com Stadium on 7 March.

Cullen is up against former Swan Luke Cundle, now at Millwall, Watford's Nestory Irankunda and Southampton's Shea Charles for the award.

The winner - decided by fans and a judging panel - will be announced at 10:00 BST on Friday, 17 April.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Vitor Matos says his Swansea City side will try and ignore the problems besetting Saturday's opponents Leicester City when they travel to the King Power Stadium (15:00 BST).

The Foxes, Premier League champions in the 2015–16 season, are now staring at relegation from the Championship.

This week Leicester lost their appeal against their six-point deduction for breaching English Football League financial rules and are a point adrift of safety with five games remaining.

"The only thing I can say is we are focused on preparing and that will not change the way we're going to prepare," Matos said.

"They will be exactly the same, what they do in terms of the game, 4-4-2 clear, one good speed outside-striker who loves to press - that is Patson Daka - pretty consistent in terms of structure.

"And then yeah, it's about us going there and trying to dominate a team that is fighting for their position in the table, and I think that's the most important thing for us."

The Swansea boss believes the game will be emotionally different from Monday's match against Middlesbrough "because of the situation Leicester is in".

He added: "But the only thing we're going to do is what we did until now, that is going with the mindset that we are going there to compete and to try to win the game.

"And I think that's the most important thing we want. Focus on ourselves, what we need to improve from the last game."

Swansea have little to play for in mid-table but will be keen to end a four-match winless streak, although Monday's thrilling 2-2 home draw against promotion-chasing Boro suggests the Swansea players are still focused on a strong finish to the season.

"Of course we want to be much more dominant than we were against Middlesbrough at home," Matos said.

"I think that's steps we need to keep doing it. Of the moment of the season we are now, it's not about changing a lot. It's about finding consistency on the right things and keep improving and building things, the values, the mentality and the mindset for the future, because that's what we want.

"And this is as well a brilliant game to do that because we want to compete, we want to have more points.

"It means to us to have and to put a proper performance in and I think that's a beautiful game to do it."

Matos said winger Zeidane Inoussa returned to training on Thursday following his back injury, adding: "apart from that, all the same availability for the same players which is good".

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Swansea City had hoped that right-back Josh Key would be able to return from injury for the final four games of the season, but head coach Vitor Matos says it is more likely that the 26-year-old will not be back from a hip problem until the penultimate game at Norwich City on 25 April.

"Josh is making steps on his recovery and he will probably be available for the last two games of the season, but still in this stage it can come early or it can come a little bit late, but that's the plan so far," Matos said.

In Key's absence, Joel Ward and Sam Parker have filled in on the right side of Swansea's defence and Matos is satisfied with the results of that experiment - which is set to continue for Saturday's Championship trip to struggling Leicester City (15:00 BST).

"Different profiles, it was Joel in one game, Sam in another. We need both, to be fair, until the end of the season and I think it's good, I think," Matos said.

"Sometimes this kind of situation of course is not good for Josh being out after a hard moment - coming back playing really good, playing three games in seven, eight days around that, getting a knock injured of course not good for him.

"But sometimes that gives opportunities and I think Joel and Sam in different ways are doing a really good job.

"I'm really happy that we can use Sam from the academy for that.. he did really well, he grew into the game, he's really good offensively, he has a lot of energy, speed, crosses really well - that's why we try to use him on those spaces high up when we were with the ball to try to take advantage and that's it.

"So let's see how we do it for Leicester."

Leicester City will hope to break out of the bottom three as they host Swansea City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Foxes escaped a loss at Hillsborough on Monday with an 84th-minute equaliser from Jordan Ayew but their point still leaves them one behind 21st-placed Portsmouth.

Meanwhile Swansea have little to play for in mid-table but will be keen to end their four-match winless streak.

• Leicester have won eight of their last 10 league games against Swansea (D1 L1), winning each of the last three by the same 3-1 scoreline.

• Swansea are winless in their last 13 away league games against Leicester (D4 L9) since a 3-2 victory in October 1950.

• Since Gary Rowett's first game in charge of Leicester City on 21 February, the Foxes have drawn more games than any other Championship side (6). They've also had the second most shots in that time (136), behind only Middlesbrough (193).

• Swansea City have lost 12 away league games this season, also losing 12 in their last campaign. Only once in their previous 22 seasons have they lost more, with 13 defeats in the 2016-17 Premier League.

• Swansea's Zan Vipotnik has scored the most goals in the Championship this season, netting 20. The last Swans player with more in a league season was Joël Piroe in 2021-22 (22).

Image source, Getty Images

Vitor Matos says the appointment of Andy Mangan has brought different qualities to his Swansea City coaching staff.

Mangan has joined as what Swansea are calling a first-team consultant until the end of the season.

The 39-year-old previously worked under Swansea chief executive Tom Gorringe at Bristol Rovers, while he was on the same pro licence coaching course as Matos.

Unusually, Swansea have not announced Mangan's appointment but confirmed his role having been asked by BBC Sport Wales.

"He's someone that I know from a long time ago and someone that I think adds quite a lot of value," Matos said.

"He is a really important asset for all of us. He has a big heart, he has experience in the leagues as well, he knows the players.

"I think he just added to us, he was available, that's why [he has come in]."

Mangan's arrival increases Swansea's already sizeable coaching staff.

The Championship club appointed Ryan Maye as their assistant head coach in December, while Matos brought in Portuguese trio Diogo Medeiros, Toze Mendes and Goncalo Ricca from former club Maritimo following his move to Wales last November.

They joined head of goalkeeping Martyn Margetson and first-team coach Kristian O'Leary on the Swans' staff, while Leon Britton and Joe Allen also have roles in Matos' backroom team.

"I think all of them have had different values, all of them have different roles," Matos said.

"All of them have a role to build, but the most important [thing] is that the players can drink off all of them and that helps the team to keep pushing themselves.

"You need the right human resources and for me as a manager it's about using the human resources we have available at the club."

While Mangan is initially in place until May, Matos did not rule out the idea of the former Fleetwood, Bristol Rovers and Stockport coach staying at Swansea beyond this season.

Image source, Getty Images

Vitor Matos says hunger will be key for Swansea City as they return to action at Sheffield United on Friday (15:00 BST).

Swansea, in 14th, take on the 17th-placed Blades with both teams looking certain to finish the Championship season somewhere in mid-table.

Though Swansea may be seen by some as having little to play for, Matos is demanding more from his players having succumbed to back-to-back league defeats for the first time since his opening week in charge in November.

"It's important not only how we address this next game, but how we understand the last part of the season, that we understand it's something we need to squeeze [everything from]," said the Swansea head coach.

"That's the most important thing, to do it with the right mentality and the right mindset, game by game.

"We need to look at Sheffield with that hunger, to have the right mindset against a really good team in terms of players, good manager, a lot of experience in the league and with players that played in the Premier League."

Swansea were beaten at home by league leaders Coventry City last time out, their first home league loss since Matos' opening game in charge.

Their away form has been much less convincing, with only two Championship clubs losing more away league games than Swansea this season.

The Swans have a miserable record at Bramall Lane in recent years, though Chris Wilder's United side are without a victory in four matches and have won only one of their past five at home.

Image source, Getty Images

Vitor Matos has urged the Swansea City players who have missed out on the World Cup to use their disappointment as the start of a journey to Euro 2028.

Wales duo Ben Cabango and Liam Cullen will return to Swansea duty at Sheffield United on Friday having seen their hopes of reaching this year's World Cup ended by play-off semi-final defeat Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Ethan Galbraith was another player left frustrated after Northern Ireland's play-off loss to Italy, while Adam Idah was part of the Republic of Ireland squad beaten on penalties by the Czech Republic in their semi-final.

Matos says he has spoken to all four players following their international setbacks – and told them to look to the future.

"I was in contact with all of them, all different human beings, different ways of dealing with the disappointment," the Swansea head coach said.

"Now it is back to club life and it is different, maybe a fresh place as well for all of them, so that's quite important.

Image source, FAW

"It's always about speaking about what will be the next thing. So who can tell if, for example in the case of Wales, being out of the World Cup cannot be a start of a really nice story for the Euros?"

Matos says being within sight of a World Cup place was "massive" for his players – but believes the focus now must be on the next European Championship, which is being held in the British Isles.

"You need to go for the next competition and the next competition is just there outside of the door," he added.

"The most important thing is why can they not try everything to reach the Euros? I think that's how the players need to look, that's how fans need to look and I think that's the step everyone needs to take.

"So that was the conversation with the players involved on the play-offs. All of them of course disappointed but I think step by step they will be back again."

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Swansea City right-back Josh Key will miss at least three more matches with a hip problem.

Key sat out the defeat by Coventry City before the international break after picking up the injury during Swansea's loss at Wrexham on 13 March.

The 26-year-old has now been ruled out of Friday's trip to Sheffield United, the home game against Middlesbrough next Monday and the fixture at Leicester City on Saturday, 11 April.

Swansea hope he will then return for the final four games of the campaign, though there are no guarantees.

"Josh had a knock against Wrexham," said head coach Vitor Matos.

"Let's see how much time he will need. It's a tricky, strange injury because it was a knock and with the knock the muscle tore a little bit, so let's see how he can cope with the return."

The injury is particularly disappointing for Key given that he had recently regained his starting place – and recaptured some of his best form – after a difficult season.

In his absence, Swansea may again deploy Ethan Galbraith at right-back, though he is also battling to be fit for the Sheffield United game after complaining of a calf issue following Northern Ireland's friendly draw with Wales on Tuesday.

Joel Ward is another option to start on the right flank of defence, while Matos says youngster Sam Parker is another who could come into contention having impressed in training.