Swansea City vs Crystal Palace - Swansea boss Francesco Guidolin wary of Crystal Palace striker Emmanuel Adebayor

Posted Friday, February 05, 2016 by PA

Swansea boss Francesco Guidolin is wary about his reunion with Crystal Palace's new striker Emmanuel Adebayor.

The pair worked together at Monaco a decade ago when Guidolin was in charge and a young Adebayor was establishing his reputation before joining Arsenal in January 2006.

Adebayor made his Palace debut as a second-half substitute in their 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth on Tuesday, and although Eagles manager Alan Pardew says the forward's fitness levels prevent him from playing more than a cameo role at present, Guidolin believes the 31-year-old presents a formidable threat to his Swansea side.

"Crystal Palace are a good team and I know Adebayor well," Guidolin said.

"We worked together in France for the first part of the season before he came to Arsenal.

"He is a good player and a good striker, I don't know his condition but he is a player with many qualities.

"He is strong in the air but his technique is good and he is very good one versus one.

"He is a modern striker and when he was younger I saw these qualities at Monaco. He is dangerous to us."

Guidolin's arrival has seen an upturn in Swansea's form as the Welsh club have given themselves some breathing space at the bottom of the Barclays Premier League.

The former Udinese coach has picked up four points from two away games, a 2-1 win at Everton and a 1-1 draw at West Brom, and Swansea are now five clear of Newcastle, who fill the final relegation spot.

Swansea have 26 points from 24 games and Guidolin believes a point a game from the final 14 matches will secure his side's top-flight status.

"I think with 40 points safety will be guaranteed," Guidolin said ahead of his first game at the Liberty Stadium.

"Maybe 14 points from 14 games is not so much, but football is complicated sometimes.

"In the Premier League, like Serie A, the Bundesliga and La Liga, football is complicated.

"But I hope to have the possibility to take the points we need early.

"I am not used to playing to be safe every day, but I am ready to fight."

Ki Sung-yueng sits out the game because of concussion.

The South Korean was taken off on a stretcher after clashing heads with West Brom's Stephane Sessegnon and must take a six-day rest under Football Association guidelines.

Italian striker Alberto Paloschi stands by to start after making his debut as a substitute at West Brom and Leroy Fer, who joined on loan from QPR on deadline day, is in the Swansea squad for the first time.

Meanwhile, Pardew believes Crystal Palace need to find the right balance in their style of play to secure the win that would "bring a little bit of a smile" back to the club.

The Eagles have lost their last five league games to slip down to 12th in the Barclays Premier League and Pardew feels the team's desperation to get points scuppered their chance of a draw with Bournemouth in midweek.

Pardew, whose side were beaten 2-1 at home by the Cherries, also admits that just avoiding defeat would be a positive for his side at present.

He said: "It is a little bit of frustration in our part, we haven't had a result.

"We have had two cup wins against Premier League opposition but the league wins have avoided us.

"I think even a draw would be a good result for us at the moment, just to get us off this points total we are stuck on and get us mentally in a better place.

"We more than deserved a draw against Bournemouth but it wasn't to come."

Palace this weekend face a Swansea side who sit five points below them in the table and travel to Wales without key duo James McArthur (ankle ligament damage) and Jason Puncheon (hamstring) after they picked up injuries against Bournemouth.

However, Pardew is positive his side will be able to compete.

He said: "We are not going to sit and moan about our injuries, we are going to keep pushing and with the right balance and fight in our play.

"Swansea have picked up a bit of form so it will be harder for us, (as will) the game with Watford, they are crucial games for us because I think when I get to Tottenham I will have a much healthier squad."