Swansea City

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."

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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.

Image source, Getty Images

Championship clubs spent just over £69.5m on agents fees over the past 12 months according to figures released by the Football Association,, external an increase of £6m on the previous year.

The figures cover the period from February 2025 with Ipswich Town the top spenders, paying £11.7m having spent the first three months of the accounting period in the Premier League.

Southampton (£8.3m) and Leicester (£5.8m), who were relegated alongside Ipswich are the second and third-highest payers on the list.

Troubled Sheffield Wednesday were the most frugal when dealing with agents, spending £534,559.

Wrexham come in sixth on the list with an outlay of £3.6m while current Championship leaders Coventry spent just short of £1.5m.

Championship agents' fee spending, external

• Ipswich - £11,738,920

• Southampton - £8,381,358

• Leicester City - £5,866,587

• Sheffield United - £5,005,498

• Norwich - £4,020,206

• Wrexham - £3,660,584

• Swansea - £3,088,645

• Middlesbrough - £2,900,314

• Bristol City - £2,774,990

• Hull City - £2,450,431

• Stoke City - £2,088,886

• Birmingham City - £1,996,502

• Millwall - £1,982,348

• Preston North End - £1,831,233

• QPR - £1,829,036

• Watford - £1,612,833

• Coventry - £1,497,990

• Derby - £1,409,507

• West Brom - £1,346,030

• Oxford - £1,235,536

• Charlton - £904,698

• Portsmouth - £831,818

• Blackburn - £676,980

• Sheffield Wednesday - £534,559

Image source, Getty Images

Zan Vipotnik's fine season continued as he scored twice for Slovenia in their friendly win over Montenegro on Tuesday.

With Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko out of the Slovenia squad through injury, Swansea City's Vipotnik led the line in Pogdorica and struck either side of half-time in a 3-2 victory.

Vipotnik, who now has 22 goals for club and country this season, played for 75 minutes having played just over an hour in last weekend's friendly loss to Hungary.

Fellow Swansea forward Adam Idah made an 18-minute substitute appearance in the Republic of Ireland's goalless draw with North Macedonia, while winger Eom Jisung came off the bench late on in South Korea's friendly loss in Austria.

Leo Walta played the full 90 minutes as Finland drew with Cape Verde in New Zealand on Monday.

Marko Stamenic was also in action on the other side of the world, as he captained New Zealand in a 4-1 win over Chile at Eden Park.

Lawrence Vigouroux was in goal for the visitors – and claimed an assist for their late goal.

Cameron Burgess is another Swansea player who has done plenty of travelling, with the centre-back featuring as a second-half substitute in Australia's 5-1 win over Curacao in Melbourne.

Malick Yalcouye has been away with the Ivory Coast Under-23s while closer to home Ben Cabango started in Wales' draw with Northern Ireland but was withdrawn at half-time.

Liam Cullen was an unused substitute while Ethan Galbraith impressed for the visitors as he played 80 minutes at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Image source, Getty Images

Ethan Galbraith hopes to play in midfield as often as possible for Swansea City after his latest impressive spell on international duty with Northern Ireland.

Galbraith emerged with credit despite Northern Ireland's World Cup play-off semi-final defeat to Italy last Thursday.

Boss Michael O'Neill then described the 24-year-old as "the best player on the pitch" in his side's friendly draw with Wales on Tuesday.

Galbraith has been one of Swansea's star performers since joining from Leyton Orient last summer, playing 44 times – and scoring four goals – for the Championship club.

The former Manchester United youngster has shone despite often being used at right-back by Swansea.

Though he has remained influential regardless of his role, Galbraith's wish is to play more regularly in the centre of the pitch.

"I won't lie, right-back wouldn't be my favourite position," Galbraith said after the Wales friendly.

"I'll always do it for the team, but primarily I'm a midfielder. That's where I want to play.

"We've had a few injuries and I've been asked to fill in, but I want to be playing in the middle as much as I can."

Galbraith is set for a swift return to club duty as Swansea travel to Sheffield United on Friday (15:00 BST).

Image source, Getty Images

He says the target for the final stages of his first season at second-tier level is to play regularly and "do my best for Swansea".

O'Neill, who gave Galbraith his international debut when he was 17, says the move to Wales has helped his development.

"He made a really good choice in the club he went to," O'Neill said.

"I spoke to him in the summer and he had other options. I think relocating to Swansea was maybe not at the top of his list because he has been in London and Manchester for the majority of his career.

"I've known Ethan since he was 15, 16 years of age, when he was in our age-grade and development squads.

"It took him longer to come through maybe than what we'd hoped and part of that is obviously his development with his club.

"But I think over this season, the player we always knew [was there has come through]."

O'Neill says there is more to come from Galbraith, who has the ability to develop into a "top-class player".

"I think where he has improved is physically in the Championship," he added.

"He's able to compete, he covers the ground, his physical data is high, but it's his ability to retain the ball - his technical level is extremely high.

"For me, his best position is definitely in midfield in our team."

Sheffield United and Swansea City will both be vying to end a poor streak of form when they meet at Bramall Lane on Good Friday (15:00 BST).

The Blades have not won any of their past four league matches (D2 L2), while Swansea have lost their past two successively.

• Sheffield United lost the reverse fixture against Swansea 1-0 in August, having won five in a row against the Swans before this.

• Swansea have lost eight of their last nine away league games against Sheffield United, winning the other in August 2018. These eight defeats have been by an aggregate score of 20-1.

• Sheffield United are winless in their last four league games (D2 L2), only having a longer run this season in their first six games (L6).

• Swansea have lost 2-0 against Wrexham and 3-0 against Coventry in their last two league games, last losing three in a row without scoring in March/April 2021 (4 in a row).

• Sheffield United have dropped more points from winning positions than any other side in the Championship this season (27). Indeed, in their last three home games they've lost to Coventry, drawn with West Brom and lost to Wrexham despite leading.