Oxford United will be looking for a first win in seven when Swansea visit Grenoble Road.
The U’s saw losses at Bristol City and most recently Sunderland, but picked up five successive draws between those fixtures.
Oxford United Welcome Swansea
Team News, Form and Prediction
Swansea lost at home to Millwall last time out and are without a win in six. The Swans have three draws and three defeats during that run and find themselves three places and one point behind the U’s.
Oxford are without several wingers, including Siriki Dembele, Kyle Edwards, Przemyslaw Placheta and Matt Phillips. Des Buckingham played Mark Harris in the wide role at the Stadium of Light before switching to a back five in the second half, so it will be interesting to see what formation he opts for this weekend.
The Swans are without forward’s Ji-Sung Eom and Josh Ginnelly while defender Sam Parker is also sidelined.
Swansea manager Luke Williams was in the running to take over from Liam Manning at Oxford when the head coach was at Notts County, but the U’s chose Oxford-born Buckingham to replace Manning before Williams made the move to South Wales.
The visitors are the lowest-scoring side in the division with eight goals in 12 league matches. However, they also boast one of the strongest defences, with just eight conceded. Only Burnley and Sheffield United have shipped fewer goals so far this season.
The U’s remain unbeaten at home but have drawn their last three, while the Swans have picked up four points from six games on their travels this season with a draw at Sheffield Wednesday and win at Coventry.
The two sides played out a 2-2 draw in the Carabao Cup in 2022, which Oxford won on penalties. The U’s saw off the Swans, who were a Premier League side, in the FA Cup in 2016 in what was one of the biggest shocks in the history of the competition. The last time these sides met in the league was during the 2004/05 campaign when the Swans did the double over the U’s, winning 1-0 at Grenoble Road.
Predicted line-up: Jamie Cumming, Greg Leigh, Ciaron Brown, Ben Nelson, Elliott Moore, Peter Kioso, Josh McEachran, Ruben Rodrigues, Tyler Goodrham, Mark Harris, Dane Scarlett.
Prediction: Oxford United 1-0 Swansea City