Roberto Martinez's recently faltering Swansea City go head-to-head with Bristol Rovers.
Pipe to miss out for Pirates; Swans without Painter
Roberto Martinez's recently faltering Swansea City travel to the Memorial Stadium on Tuesday evening as they go head-to-head with Bristol Rovers.
League One leaders Swansea looked to be running away with top spot; however their recent slump has led to questions of whether they can last the distance.
The Swans currently hold a six-point advantage at the summit, but their first defeat in 18 league games has been followed by a draw and another loss.
Whether it is pressure or complacency, Martinez will be keen for his men to refocus as they look to secure automatic promotion to the Championship with 12 fixtures remaining.
Bristol Rovers, meanwhile, will be pleased to be sitting in a fairly comfortable 16th after they were promoted from League Two last season.
Improvement
Paul Trollope's side are without a win in three games, though, and will be aware that they must improve their form if they are to avoid being pulled into a relegation battle.
The fixture comes too soon for Pirates midfielder David Pipe, who is struggling with a hip problem he sustained against Northampton.
He has resumed training but the injury is still troublesome and Huddersfield's visit to the Memorial Stadium at the weekend is a more realistic target for his comeback.
Steve Elliott is set to miss out but could also return against Huddersfield. The defender has been sidelined for two months with a knee injury but recently returned to training.
On-loan midfielder Anthony Pulis has returned to Stoke to receive treatment for his thigh injury.
Long-term absentee Ryan Green will find out this week if he requires an operation to solve his troublesome Achilles problem. If he does, the defender's season will be over.
Painter out
Swansea defender Marcos Painter is back on the sidelines for the trip to Bristol Rovers.
The 21-year-old returned from injury in Saturday's 4-2 defeat at Northampton but was forced off at half-time after suffering a recurrence of his hamstring injury.
In Painter's absence, veteran Kevin Austin should come in at left-back to face his former club.
Captain Garry Monk remains absent from the Swans defence due to his back problem but is expected to return for the Good Friday trip to in-form Southend.
On-loan Liverpool winger Paul Anderson (hamstring) faces a further two weeks on the sidelines while fellow midfielder Andrea Orlandi (knee) is around three weeks away from his return.
