Boss Paul Jewell says the Blues must get over the disappointment of Thursday’s 5-1 defeat to Norwich City when they face Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium on Monday. The Town manager has recalled striker Ronan Murray from his loan spell at Torquay for the trip to Wales.
Jewell said: "It was a huge disappointment but we've got to get over it. We can't dwell on Norwich. I realise what it means to the supporters and I hope they realise what it means to me and the players as well. We're as devastated as them, but we have to move on
"We've had a good end to the season but obviously Thursday night has given us a huge jolt. We have to try and learn from it. You learn things about yourself and your players - as a team and as individuals - all the time.
"It was a horrendous result for us obviously and for the supporters, but we can't do anything about that now. We've got to try and bounce back and look to finish the season as well as we possibly can.”
The Town manager says returning to winning ways against the Swans won’t be an easy task: "We've got Swansea next, who are an outstanding team and have had an outstanding season and it's going to be a very difficult match.
"People tell me Swansea are the best footballing side in the division, while some managers say it's Norwich. I saw them [Swansea] play against Leeds and they were outstanding and they will be very difficult to play against.
"They are going for promotion as well, so it's going to be a big game for them and a big game for us, because we're obviously looking for a reaction."
Jewell may make a change or two after the Norwich game, although the Blues boss has tended to stick with much the same side since he took over in January with fringe players such as Jaime Peters and Shane O’Connor yet to make a start.
Keeper Arran Lee-Barrett could perhaps drop out with former Swan Brian Murphy closing in on a return to first team football after his broken ankle. However, Márton Fülöp is the more likely alternative if Jewell is looking make a change between the sticks.
Former Cardiff full-back Mark Kennedy is on the way back after his hamstring injury and could replace Darren O’Dea at left-back. Carlos Edwards will probably be on the right and Gareth McAuley and Damien Delaney at the centre of the defence.
In midfield, Jimmy Bullard, Grant Leadbitter and David Norris are likely to keep their places in the centre of midfield but Jewell could switch things around with his three attacking players.
With Lee Martin missing the second of three games because of his red card at Bristol City, Andy Drury could potentially come into the side on the left, having impressed from the bench on Thursday, with Josh Carson on the right and Connor Wickham perhaps replacing Jason Scotland in the central role.
Alternatively, Murray could take up one of the wide positions but the Republic of Ireland U21 international will probably be on the bench along with 17-year-old left-back Joe Whight.
Murray's recall could just be down to the lack of strikers currently at the club or may indicate that either Wickham - who did appear to be struggling at times on Thursday - or Scotland has an undisclosed injury.
Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers has no new injuries or suspensions, aside from Blues striker Tamás Priskin, who has a knee problem but is ineligible under the terms of his loan anyway.
Midfielder Joe Allen could return to the side having been a sub during Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Portsmouth after a spell out with a thigh problem.
Rodgers, who is understood to have been targeted by Roy Keane to be his assistant manager last summer, is unhappy at having two matches in three days over Easter: "We have two very important games this weekend which will go a long way towards determining where we finish up.
"But it's obviously not ideal that we are playing on Saturday and then Monday while other teams are playing on different days.
"Ipswich played on Thursday, which means they will have had three clear days to prepare for their game with us, whereas we will only get one.
"Having time to recover properly at any point in the season is absolutely vital, but at this stage, when legs can be a little bit weary, that time is even more important.
"There are other teams in the same boat as us, but it's not the same for everyone and at this critical point in the season, all you want is to be competing on a level playing field.
"Ipswich have an advantage over us, there's no question about that. But having said that, we will not use it as an excuse. We will get on with our jobs and try to win these important games.
"They will be motivated having lost 5-1 at home to their local rivals,'' he continued. "Their motivation will be high to get back to winning ways.''
Over the years Swansea have just had the better of it, winning 10 games (10 in the league), Town having won nine (seven) and with nine (eight) matches ending in draws. The Swans are currently fifth in the Championship, eight places and 12 points ahead of the Blues but are without a win in their last three games.
The sides met at Portman Road in December when Town were let down by poor defending and Andy D’Urso’s failure to award a definite penalty when Carlos Edwards was felled as Swansea came from behind to win 3-1.
Loanee Andros Townsend put Town in front with his first and only goal for the Blues but Craig Beattie (2) and Joe Allen condemned Roy Keane’s side to their fifth consecutive league defeat. The teams last met at the Liberty Stadium in March when they played out a dull 0-0 draw.
Goalkeeper Brian Murphy was with the Swans between 2003 and 2006 making 18 appearance, while Jason Scotland spent two years at Swansea before joining Wigan in 2009, netting 53 goals in 91 starts and 14 sub appearances during his time at the Liberty Stadium. Town coach Sean McCarthy was also a Swans striker between 1985 and 1988.
Tamás Priskin joined the Swans on loan in March and is the only current member of Brendan Rodgers’s squad to have played for Town.
Monday’s referee is James Linington from Newport, who has shown 99 yellow and six red cards in 34 games so far this season.
Linington’s last Swansea match - the August 2009 2-1 home Carling Cup defeat to Scunthorpe - ended somewhat controversially with the Swans ending the game with seven players having had three men sent off and another injured after using all their subs.
His last Town game was the rather less eventful 3-1 defeat at Peterborough in February last year in which Damien Delaney, David Norris and Posh midfielder and ex-Blues academy schoolboy Josh Simpson were all booked and no one at all was red-carded.
Squad from: Fülöp, Murphy, Lee-Barrett, Edwards, Kennedy, O'Dea, Delaney, McAuley, Brown, Bullard, Leadbitter, Norris, Healy, Peters, Civelli, Drury, Carson, Murray, Wickham, Scotland.