TEAM NEWS

Swansea interim manager Alan Curtis is likely to revert to a more familiar starting XI after rotating his squad for the FA Cup last weekend.

That should mean recalls for the likes of Ashley Williams, Lukasz Fabianski, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Andre Ayew.

Sunderland captain John O'Shea faces a fitness test after being taken off at the weekend with a sore calf.

The Black Cats could give a debut to defender Jan Kirchhoff, who signed from Bayern Munich last week.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Martin Fisher: "In my opinion, both managers can be excused for having their eyes on this fixture ahead of last weekend's FA Cup ties. This is a cup final. And it's the first of several these clubs will face between now and May.

"Losing to League Two Oxford was embarrassing for Swansea but will be quickly forgotten if they can win against Sunderland. A lack of goals has been a major problem, but just one might be enough this time.

"The same can be said of Sunderland - a repeat of Jermain Defoe's late winner at Palace would do nicely.

"They trail the Swans at the moment but Big Sam's presence, coupled with their near annual experience of relegation scraps, convinces me they have the better chance of survival."

Twitter: @mfisherfootball 

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

Swansea interim manager Alan Curtis: "I wouldn't call it a must-win game at this stage but we need to win games sooner rather than later.

"We know the significance of picking up three points but we need to treat it like any other game and use our home advantage."

Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce on an "enormous" game: "As games tick by and you're still around in the bottom area of the Premier League, when you come across [relegation rivals], these games are the most important games to win in the season."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Swansea have been sinking closer and closer to the relegation zone, and I am thinking they are in real danger of going down.

Sunderland are short of quality too but they will go and make it very difficult for the Swans, and I don't think they will leave the Liberty Stadium empty-handed.

Lawro's full predictions v actor Elis James

• Think you can do better than Lawro? Predict the score for this match and the rest of this round's Premier League fixtures in our Predictor game.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Six of the nine Premier League meetings between these sides have been draws, including the last three.
• Swansea have lost just one of their last 15 league meetings with Sunderland (W6, D8).
• Sunderland have never won in four Premier League trips to Swansea (D3, L1).
• The Black Cats' last win at Swansea in any competition came in an old Division Two meeting in November 1963, the day after President Kennedy was assassinated.

Swansea City

• Swansea won their first two home league games of the season but haven't won back-to-back league matches at the Liberty Stadium since then.
• The Swans have scored just three goals in their last seven league games. They have failed to score in nine of their last 16 Premier League matches.
• There has not been a goal in the final 15 minutes of a Premier League game at the Liberty Stadium this season. It's the only ground with that record.
• Midfielder Leon Britton could make his 500th Swansea appearance.

Sunderland

• Sunderland have picked up just four points in their last 11 Premier League away games (W1, D1, L9).
• They have conceded 16 goals in their last five league away games, an average of 3.2 goals per game.
• Jermain Defoe has scored both of Sunderland's goals in their last two Premier League meetings with Swansea.