BIG-MATCH SPOTLIGHT
THE first Championship south Wales derby of the season takes place tomorrow afternoon.
Here’s the full lowdown on the clash between Swansea City and Cardiff City.
WHAT TIME IS SWANSEA CITY V CARDIFF CITY KICK-OFF? Swansea City v Cardiff City kicks off at 12pm on Sunday, October 17.
IS SWANSEA CITY V CARDIFF CITY ON TV?
Yes, the game will be screened live on Sky Sports. Coverage on their Football channel begins at 11am tomorrow.
Sky customers will be able to live stream the action via the Sky Go app.
Given that the match is being shown live on Sky Sports, the game will not be streamed on SwansTV or Cardiff City TV.
You can also follow live updates from the match via our blog which will be available on WalesOnline’s Football page.
WHAT’S THE LATEST TEAM NEWS? Russell Martin has a fully-fit squad to select from for the first time since joining Swansea.
Olivier Ntcham, Ryan Bennett and Michael Obafemi have all recovered from injuries and are in contention to feature.
As for Cardiff, they have captain Sean Morrison back in their ranks after he recovered from a thigh strain.
Striker Kieffer Moore is expected to start despite being withdrawn during Wales’ 1-0 triumph over Estonia on Monday due to a facial injury. Sam Bowen is also available after recovering from illness, although Tom Sang will miss out due to a toe problem.
WHAT HAVE THE MANAGERS SAID?
Russell Martin: “The reward at the end is three points, but we have to contextualise every game, and this is the biggest one of the season for our supporters at home to our rivals.
“I’m not going to play it down at all, I’ve been on that side of the fence, I’ve been a fan in derbies, I’ve been a player. It’s huge, I know how much it means to them. It’s a balance for us to make sure the players are aware of that, and they are.”
Mick McCarthy: “I love the derbies. Last year we had no one in! It’ll be a bit different, this one.
“If you can win them then they are brilliant. If you lose them it leaves you pretty low, even more so for the fans.
“Players and managers come and go but fans are always there. They love the bragging rights.”
WHAT ARE THE LATEST BETTING ODDS?
Swansea City win - 6/4; Draw - 2/1; Cardiff City win - 2/1
(Odds courtesy of Grosvenor Sport, correct at time of publishing)
WHO IS THE REFEREE? James Linington will take charge of proceedings at Swansea.com Stadium. The Isle of Wight official will be assisted by Rob Smith and Nigel Lugg, while Darren Drysdale is the fourth official.