Team news

In-form Swans wait on pair Garry Monk and Gorka Pintado will undergo fitness tests ahead of Swansea's home clash with high-flying Blackpool.

Skipper Monk has missed the last two games with a calf injury and must prove his fitness to boss Paulo Sousa.

Spanish striker Pintado has not featured since the goalless draw at Doncaster last month and is also a doubt due to a thigh problem.

Playmaker Andrea Orlandi will definitely not feature as the former Barcelona man is struggling with a thigh problem.

Joe Allen came on as a substitute for his first appearance in a month in the excellent midweek win at leaders West Brom, and the midfielder is expected to be on the bench once again.

The Swans are in a rich vein of form and are now unbeaten in seven Championship games.

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway is set to ring the changes for his side's trip to Wales.

Charlie Adam and David Vaughan are likely to come back into the starting line-up after coming off the bench at half-time to inspire the Seasiders to a 3-0 win over Sheffield United on Tuesday.

Midfielder Ishmel Demontagnac will be available for selection for the last time before serving a three-match ban for his sending off in a reserve match.

Strikers Stephen McPhee (knee) and Daniel Nardiello (hip) both remain on the sidelines as does defender Danny Coid (hairline fracture of tibia), but Gary Taylor-Fletcher could return from injury.

Swansea 0-0 Blackpool

Last modified 09:02 25/10/09

The lights may be on in Blackpool, but Ian Holloway’s team would have been in the dark without their keeper Matthew Gilks.

The former Rochdale and Norwich keeper has been an unsung hero as his side have become the shock attack troops of the Championship.

But this was his day, as he produced a string of saves to earn his outplayed team a point.

“I just had one of those days when everything went my way. Luckily it was on a day when the team didn’t play so well,” he said.

Holloway said: “He made three good saves, but there were some great last-ditch tackles as well.”

The Swans should have won in a canter, after dominating from start to finish, but the fact remains that Paulo Sousa’s team have now scored just nine goals in 14 games.

Sousa refused to criticise his strikers: “We are creating chances, we are playing well without reward.

“We were only prevented from winning by their goalkeeper.”

On the credit side, the stalemate mean Swansea’s defence have now kept eight clean sheets.

“I am happy with everything. We just need to get that confidence in front of goal,” added Sousa.

Swansea’s own keeper, Dorus de Vries, was able to celebrate his 100th appearance as a virtual spectator.

It was vastly different for Gilks, who had began his heroics inside the first minute, stretching to get his fingertips to Darren Pratley’s neat chip and palm it to safety.

Then he had to dive low to keep out a fierce drive from Craig Beattie.

Gilks was pressed into action again early in the second half. This time he had to be alert to beat out Mark Gower’s drive.

And then he produced a stunning save, leaping across his goal to push away Tom Butler’s free-kick which was curling into the corner of the net.

Swansea were rampant at this stage, with little Leon Britton and Pratley sparking so many assaults on goal.

As the chances came and went, Blackpool almost made them pay as they finally raised the seige and went on the attack.

Sub Ian Evatt’s header had beaten De Vries and was heading into the net before Beattie, admirably back to help his defenders, scooped it off the line.

Defeat would have been cruel for a Swansea side who have now lost just once in their last 10 games.