Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales at the Swansea.com Stadium

Swansea have won six of their last eight Championship matches, a sparkling run which means another victory today could see them climb as high as fourth in the table.

Cardiff, by contrast, are only two points above the bottom three having lost their last two games, albeit in somewhat unfortunate circumstances given that key refereeing decisions have gone against them in both.

But this is the Championship, and this is a derby, so making bold pre-match predictions would be foolish.

After all, who saw Swansea's comprehensive derby double coming last season?

One thing is certain, after five defeats in the last seven south Wales derbies, Cardiff and their fans will feel they are due a win against their rivals.

Image source, Getty Images

Russell Martin says courage will be key to Swansea's hopes of claiming an unprecedented third straight league win over Cardiff.

After celebrating the first league double in the history of the south Wales derby last season, Martin says his youthful team must be brave if they are to triumph once more today.

"They were great games last year for us," said the Swansea head coach.

"Everyone understands the importance of this game to the supporters and the people around the club.

"It adds an edge to it, but we have to manage it as well as we did in both games last year and turn it into a game we want it to be and not get caught up in the occasion.

"It will be whoever shows the most courage on the day - and overcomes any fear of the occasion or the match that they have - who will win."

Read more: 'Courage' is key as Swansea City chase hat-trick - Russell Martin

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Interim manager Mark Hudson has urged Cardiff to play with passion and "for the badge" against bitter rivals Swansea today.

Cardiff have lost five of the past seven south Wales derbies but Hudson, who scored in the fixture in 2009, has denied the match has meant less to Bluebirds players.

"Absolutely not, from my point of view," insisted Hudson.

"It does not mean less at all - it should mean the most.

"We should play with passion, play for the badge and understand what it means to this football club and the fans.

"We have spoken about it, how much it means to us individually and collectively, all the staff involved, all the fans involved and the history of the game.

"Not that we had to, but [we] wanted to do that."

Read more: Hudson urges Cardiff to 'play for badge' at Swansea

Danny Gabbidon
Former Cardiff City defender on BBC Radio Wales

Both sets of players know how big this game is.

Andy Robinson
Former Swansea City winger on BBC Radio Wales

The build-up to these games starts two or three weeks back.

The atmosphere's going to be absolutely electric in here, and Swansea have to draw on that.

Once that first Swansea goal goes in, this place will erupt.

Luton striker Elijah Adebayo tells BBC Look East that racist abuse must be punished after being on the receiving end for the third time in 12 months last weekend.

The latest occurrence came after the 24-year-old scored in the Hatters' 3-1 win over Queens Park Rangers.

"We have had enough of saying enough is enough. This despicable discrimination simply has to stop," the club said., external

"For the third time in less than a year, Luton Town Football Club has had to report or assist with enquiries into disgusting racist abuse aimed at our striker Elijah Adebayo.

"We are appalled that we are having to do this in 2022."

Image source, Getty Images

Watford midfielder Imran Louza has been ruled out "for a few months" with a broken leg - an injury that will see him miss the World Cup with Morocco.

Hornets boss Slaven Bilic confirmed the 23-year-old had fractured his fibula and suffered ligament damage in Wednesday's defeat by Millwall.

Meanwhile a Football Association charge against Louza - for allegedly spitting at a Swansea player - has been dropped.

He had faced a six-match ban if found guilty of the allegation.

The FA said on Friday that the charge had been "not proven".

Louza played for Morocco at this year's Africa Cup of Nations but did not feature in their most recent friendlies after having knee surgery in May.

"It's a big blow," said Bilic when asked about the injury.

"Unfortunately he will be out for long. We are still waiting for another opinion but he will be out for a few months."

Image source, Getty Images

The 115th south Wales derby sees hosts looking to start another party, welcoming guests who must feel they are due a celebration.

Swansea take on Cardiff having loved every minute of their two Championship encounters with the neighbours last season.

Russell Martin's team did something special in 2021-22, as they beat Cardiff 3-0 at home and then 4-0 away to become the first club in the long history of the fixture to win two league games in the same campaign.

For Swansea, last season's triumphs in the fixture that matters most will be a hard act to follow.

For Cardiff, the resumption of hostilities means a chance to exact some degree of revenge.

Swansea's Matt Grimes and Cardiff's Joe Ralls have been giving their thoughts on today's big game, you can read them in the handy link below.

Read more: A hard act for Swansea City to follow as Cardiff City seek revenge

As always, it was an interesting day in the EFL yesterday.

If you missed it, here is how it all went down.

Read more: EFL live - as it happened

Image source, Getty Images

The statue of former Watford manager Graham Taylor outside the club's ground was boarded up this morning ahead of the Hornets' derby against Luton.

Today is first time the Championship sides have met in front of fans for 16 years.

Hertfordshire Police said the statue's protection was a "normal precaution".

The force added there would be a "significant police presence" in the town on matchday.

The last time the rivals played each other in front of a crowd was for a 1-1 draw in a Championship match at Vicarage Road in April 2006 - with Watford getting promoted via the play-offs the following month.

Since then the clubs played in different divisions, until the Championship games in Sep 2020 and April 2021, when Covid restrictions meant there were no supporters.

Read more: Graham Taylor statue boarded up

Danny Gabbidon
Former Cardiff City defender on BBC Radio Wales

You look at that Cardiff back four and a couple of changes are not ideal - you'd want continuity there.

The fact that Jack Simpson is not starting is a bit of a strange one for me.

Better news for Cardiff on the suspension front as they won their appeal against Jack Simpson's red card against Queens Park Rangers on Wednesday.

The centre-back was shown a straight red card after just 18 minutes at Loftus Road for a foul on Sinclair Armstrong which also led to a penalty as Cardiff lost 3-0.

Having won his appeal, Simpson is available to play today but is only included on the bench.

Image source, Huw

There's one big name missing from Swansea's line-up.

They will certainly be wishing their main man, Joel Piroe, was available today, but he misses out through suspension.

The Swans opted not to appeal against the red card the striker received in their 4-0 defeat at Burnley last weekend.

Read more: Swansea City striker Joel Piroe misses three games

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Both managers make three changes to their midweek matches, with Joao Pedro, Craig Cathcart and Edo Kayembe in for Mattie Pollock, Yaser Asprilla and the injured Imran Louza for the Hornets.

Elijah Adebayo returns for the away side along with captain Sonny Bradley and Luke Freeman.

Watford: Bachmann, Gosling, Cathcart, Troost-Ekong, Kamara, Choudhury, Kayembe, Sema, Pedro, Sarr, Davis.

Subs: Okoye, Gaspar, Asprilla, Bayo, Kalu, Pollock, Morris

Luton Town: Horvarth, Bree, Lockyer, Bradley, Freeman, Campbell, Clark, Bell, Adebayo, Morris, Bell

Subs: Isted, Potts, Cornick, Berry, Watson, Osho, Jerome

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales at the Swansea.com Stadium

Cardiff City's interim boss Mark Hudson has made three changes to the side which started Wednesday's defeat at Queens Park Rangers.

Joe Ralls - who wears the captain's armband - Tom Sang and Curtis Nelson come in as Jack Simpson, Romaine Sawyers and the injured Perry Ng drop out.

The loss of Ng is a blow, particularly as Mahlon Romeo is also absent with injury.

There are debuts in this fixture for Ryan Allsop, Niels Nkounkou, Callum O'Dowda, Cedric Kipre, Andy Rinomhota and Callum Robinson.

Cardiff: Allsop, Sang, Nelson, Kipre, Nkounkou, O'Dowda, Ralls (capt), Rinomhota, Wintle, Ojo, Robinson.

Subs: Alnwick, Etete, Sawyers, Whyte, Campbell, Simpson, Harris.

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales at the Swansea.com Stadium

Swansea head coach Russell Martin has kept faith the side which started Tuesday's 3-2 win over Reading, which means south Wales derby debuts for Steven Benda, Harry Darling, Nathan Wood, Matty Sorinola, Luke Cundle and Ollie Cooper.

One significant disappointment for Swansea is that Ryan Manning remains absent with a hamstring injury.

With Joe Allen and Jamie Paterson also injured and Joel Piroe suspended, Swansea are without some key figures.

Swansea: Benda, Cabango, Darling, Wood, Latibeaudiere, Grimes (capt), Fulton, Sorinola, Cundle, Cooper, Obafemi.

Subs: Fisher, Ntcham, Cullen, Oko-Flex, Stevens, Naughton, Congreve.

Image source, Getty Images

Good morning.

Hopefully you're feeling refreshed for a bumper Sunday of football, with key fixtures later in the Premier League and throughout the afternoon in the Women's Super League.

We will be focusing our attention on the Championship, with two intriguing games kicking off at midday.

Top billing is in south Wales where one of the most heated derbies in the EFL will take place, as Cardiff City travel to their bitter rivals Swansea City.

The Swans made history by doing the first league 'double' in the fixture's 110-year history last season, dominating the Bluebirds twice with emphatic 3-0 and 4-0 wins.

They can go a step further with a home win today as no side has ever won three south Wales derbies on the spin.

There is also an interesting fixture at Vicarage Road as stuttering Watford look to get three points over the ever impressive Luton Town, with the Hatters four points ahead of the Hornets ahead of their short trip across Hertfordshire.

Should be plenty of early drama, so let's begin sedately, with a look at the team news.