Swansea City play host to rock bottom Charlton tomorrow afternoon but with very different aims come the end of the season

For an all to brief moment Swansea had a foot in the last eight of the FA Cup only to denied a quarter final berth. Conceding two goals in four minutes against Fulham may have seemed like a sucker punch but there is a bigger prize at stake, promotion to the premier league. The Liberty Stadium outfit have a perfect opportunity to to secure a top 6 place and go tantalisingly close to the automatic promotion places.

Against a Charlton side fighting for their league survival at the foot of the championship table it certainly will not be an easy game for the Swans. However with the chance to put right the 2-0 loss sustained against The Addicks on the opening day of the season as a huge incentive, Swans boss Roberto Martinez has revealed that his players are chomping at the bit to face the London club, he said “It's one of those games that the boys are desperate to play. There was a bit of apprehension when we went to them and I don't think we were ourselves at all.”

"Charlton have made a lot of changes since then but, as soon as we lost that game, the boys wanted to face them again."

Voicing his surprise that Phil Parkinson's side are rooted to the bottom of the championship, Swansea captain Garry Monk still believes that they will cause problems but has stressed the importance of getting an early goal. The former Southampton man is also expecting a hugely physical game as he told the SWEP, he said “The key to these sorts of games is an early goal — if we can get one then they have to come at us. At the start they will put everyone behind the ball, be rigid and kick everything that moves.”

He added, "We expect that and it's a chance to prove ourselves again, and if we get an early goal then these games tend to work out a bit better for us. I think Charlton have lost a few players and the management has changed, but I'm surprised to see them at the bottom. It is not a massive surprise to see where we are. We are close to the play-offs and we need to push on and get among the others. Then, you never know."

Charlton at the start of the season were tipped as promotion candidates but after financial worries and a mixture of poor management and lack of squad cohesion, the Valley club face the very real and ever growing prospect of relegation to the 3^rd tier of the British game. Facing consignment to league one, Athletic assistant manger Mark Kinsella still believes that Swansea can be beaten as he told the clubs official site , he said “ They're beatable and we're going to try and put in a good performance for our fans. I believe we've got a good contingent going down and we want to put in a good display for them. I remember playing against Martinez in the early 1990s and he played in a similar style to how he's got his team playing now. “

He added “We won't have come up against a team like Swansea in the last few weeks, so it's going to be a different sort of game for us mentally. Hopefully we'll get the result. The pitch will be lovely on Saturday and it's a great set-up at the Liberty Stadium. Is it a free game for us? Everyone in the country will be expecting us to get beaten, but we're going there with a different attitude and our performances over the last couple of weeks have been good.”

The Injury List

Swansea: Re-calling Shaun McDonald from his successful loan stint at Yeovil Town to ease a midfield injury crisis after Joe Allen was ruled out for up to 4 weeks with a thigh strain, Roberto Martinez's options in the centre of midfield are stretched. Not only have the Swans suffered a blow in that area but Garry Monk could also be set to miss out with a back problem that kept the former defender out of the 2-1 loss to Fulham midweek. Whilst striker Gorka Pintado has returned to training it is thought that the Spaniard is not match fit.

Darren Pratley (shoulder), Ferrie Bodde (knee) and Marcos Painter (knee) round off the ever growing injury list at the Liberty Stadium.

Charlton: Striker Deon Burton has served a one match ban and is now available for selection but will most likely take his place on the bench. Shot-stopper Nicky Weaver has overcome a hip injury but Rob Elliot is favourite to take his place between the sticks tomorrow afternoon.

Chinese midfielder Zheng Zhi is short of match fitness after recovering from a foot injury. Whilst fellow midfielder's Jonathan Fortune and Jose Semedo are out with achilles and ankle injuries respectively. The club's joint top scorer Andy Gray is sidelined with a pelvis injury.

Players to watch:

Jason Scotland: You just can't stop the 29 year old from scoring at the moment and it will be of little surprise to see his name on the score sheet again against lowly Charlton. Scotland's goals have played a pivotal in Swansea's good run of form and will undoubtedly attract some attention from other clubs in the summer.

Jordi Gomez: Crucial to the heart of the Swans midfield , the Espanyol midfielder is the player that makes the five man midfield tick. Skilful and comfortable in possession Gomez has also chipped in with goals from midfield and has caused a whole array of problems for opposition players and looks every inch a top flight player.

Albert Serran: Since his arrival in South Wales the Spaniard has found his chances limited but an injury to Garry Monk has given the former Espanyol man a chance to impress.

Nicky Bailey: Singed from Southend United the 24 year old will be at loggerheads with former team mate Mark Gower tomorrow afternoon. Currently the clubs joint top scorer the Hammersmith born midfielder will certainly be a player to contain.

The form book based on the last five results:

Swansea City:WDLWL

Charlton Athletic: WLLWD

Man in the middle/ men on the lines:

Referee : K Stroud
Assistant Officials:N Kinseley and R Ganfield
Fourth Official : O Langford

Planet Swans Prediction: Swansea City 0-0 Charlton

(Based on predictions made by Planet Swans members in the prediction league.)

Photo: Action Images

Arsenal Polls