Mid Wales

Luke Hemmings
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Despite Newport County sitting bottom of the football league, manager Christian Fuchs remains confident their fate is still in their own hands.

County have won just one of their last five League Two games, mainly against sides pushing for promtion, with the season now entering a crucial phase.

"The way we played over that stretch of five games was very competitive. I didn't feel we were misplaced or outplayed in any of them. We played our fair part and could have come away from every game with something," Fuchs said.

"Football-wise, we can compete against anybody. We know the league can change very quickly from one week to the other.

"Based on the games we've played so far, we still have it in our own hands. A good run of two or three games and the table looks completely different. It's important for us to have this life-line."

County's most recent league outing ended in a 2-0 defeat to Cambridge United, with two goals conceded in two second-half minutes.

Fuchs described that spell as "disappointing" and echoed assistant Mark Smith's call for players to show greater resilience and not feel "sorry for themselves".

"It's something we've addressed, and unfortunately it has been the story of our season," Fuchs said.

"When you go a goal down, that's when you need to push yourself even more and not put your head down. Feeling sorry for yourself should not be in the vocabulary in this business.

"You just need to go again and again. We still had 30 minutes to play. Some teams go 1-0 down in a Champions League final and turn it around in extra time. It happens, you just have to keep believing and push forward."

Despite his side's precarious position, former Premier League winners Fuchs retains full belief in his players.

"If I was to work with a team right now that actually walks away without any faith in themselves, without any belief that they can make something happen, that would be tough," he said, "but we created chances that should be goals. There's a lot of belief in the team."

Fuchs will be hoping his team kickstart their comeback when they travel to Fleetwood Town on Saturday, 28 February (15:00 GMT) looking to avenge their previous 2-0 defeat to the Fisherman in December.

Ipswich Town are playing their first home league game in a month, having had three away matches since drawing with Preston at Portman Road on 31 January.

Swansea snatched a last-minute equaliser against Preston on Tuesday night to make it only two defeats from their past six outings but only West Brom (11) and Sheffield Wednesday (7) have won fewer than their 14 points away from home.

• Ipswich have won their past three league games against Swansea, as many as they had in their previous 12 (D4 L5).

• Swansea lost their past away league game against Ipswich in November 2023, but have not lost on consecutive visits to Portman Road since August 1959.

• Ipswich have lost just one of their 16 home league games this season (W10 D5), and are unbeaten in 10 since a 3-0 loss to Charlton in October (W7 D3).

• Swansea have lost eight of their past 10 away league games, winning the other two against Oxford in December and Watford in January.

• Ipswich's Jack Clarke has scored three goals in his past two home league games, while five of his eight overall home goals this season have been as a substitute.

This is only the eighth time Charlton Athletic have played a home league game against Wrexham.

The Addicks have only won two of their past six league matches at The Valley.

Wrexham have won their past two league games and are hoping to make it three in a row for only the second time this season having climbed up to sixth in the table.

• Charlton have lost just one of their seven home league games against Wrexham (W2 D4). Their 2-2 draw in League One last season is the only time they have hosted the Welsh side this century.

• Following their 1-0 win in November, Wrexham are looking to complete the league double over Charlton for the second time after 1979-80.

• Charlton have not scored more than once in any of their past 11 home league games, though they have only failed to score on one occasion in that run. They last netted multiple home goals against Sheffield Wednesday in October (2-1).

• Wrexham have won four of their five away league games so far in 2026 (D1), having been winless in their final eight on the road in 2025 (D5 L3).

• Josh Windass is Wrexham's top scorer in away league games this season with five goals, though four of these came in his first five trips this term (one in his last nine).

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff City striker Yousef Salech has flown home to Copenhagen for personal reasons.

Salech returned to training last week following a neck injury sustained during the League One leaders' 1-1 draw with Stockport on 24 January.

The 24-year-old had a hospital scan which determined the injury was not serious.

Although Salech is back in training, he is still not ready to play.

"He's back home in Copenhagen. Some personal issues with his family, so he's at home in Copenhagen," said Cardiff head coach Brian Barry-Murphy.

"He'll return to us on Monday or Tuesday and crack on with his rehabilitation."

Meanwhile, forward Isaak Davies could feature in Saturday's League One trip to Doncaster Rovers (15:00 GMT) having been out with concussion.

Midfielder David Turnbull, however, will miss the game with a hamstring strain he sustained during last Saturday's 5-2 defeat at Plymouth Argyle.

"Isaak has trained fully this week, so fingers crossed he'll be available," said Barry-Murphy.

"David Turnbull came off with a hamstring injury at half-time at Plymouth and the suggestions are it's not a serious issue, but he hasn't trained as such. I'd say the weekend will come too soon for him.

"But apart from that, all the players who were involved at the weekend should be good."