A resurgent Newcastle side travel to south Wales tomorrow looking to break in to the top ten for the first time since November.
Swansea are on a high after last weeks Capital One Cup victory and will be looking to take that momentum in to their clash with Alan Pardew’s team.
Newcastle have picked up 9 points from a possible 12 since their French revolution took place and are clawing their way up the table and away from the relegation dogfight. Pardew’s men currently lie in 13th place in the table but could jump to 10th with a win on Saturday if results go their way.
Despite their cup heroics, Swansea aren’t in great form in the league. Michael Laudrup’s team sit in 9th in the table but have only won two of their last six league games which has weakened their attempts to attack the top six.
Team News
Newcastle may be without their influential captain Fabricio Coloccini after he injured his back attempting an audacious overhead kick in Newcastle’s 4-2 win over Southampton last week. Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa is likely to start alongside Steven Taylor in the heart of the Magpies defence with Yohan Cabaye likely to take the captains armband.
The trip to south Wales may have also come too soon for Hatem Ben Arfa who is unlikely to feature after struggling for fitness after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Michel Vorm is likely to return in goal for Swansea after recovering from flu while Neil Taylor is edging closer to a return after recovering from a broken ankle, it is unlikely he will feature this weekend though.
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Interesting Statistics
- Newcastle have conceded at least two goals in nine of their last 12 league games
- However, the Magpies have banged in ten goals in their last four league games
- Swansea have only won 6 home games against Newcastle in their history, with Newcastle tasting victory 10 times away to the Swans
- The first ever meeting between the two teams was in 1914/15, Newcastle winning 2-0 in an FA Cup tie
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Key Players
Newcastle:Â Moussa Sissoko
Of all the French imports to land on Tyneside this winter, none have done so with as much impact as Sissoko. The   midfield colossus has hit the ground running with three goals and two assists in his opening four league games for the club, converting a perfect 100% of his clear cut chances.
With his pace and power, Newcastle seem to have a real talent on their hands with Sissoko, who has so far proved to be a real bargain after his £2 million move from Toulouse in January.
Swansea : Michu
Signed from Rayo Vallecano in the summer, Michu has arguably been the best signing of the season, scoring goal after goal for Swansea in his début season. Currently on 15 goals for the season, Michu is keeping up with the Premier Leagues big hitters and has proved he has the ability to score against any defence, home or away. He will again be the main threat to a Newcastle defence which has leaked goals lately.
[box_light]All of the stats from this article have been taken from the Opta Stats Centre at EPLIndex.com – Subscribe Now (Includes author privileges!) Check out our new Top Stats feature on the Stats Centre which allows you to compare all players in the league & read about new additions to the stats centre.[/box_light]
