Vitor Matos has warned his Swansea City players to be ready for the threat of Jamie Vardy as Burnley visit this weekend. The veteran striker, 39, joined the Clarets this week and could make his debut against the Swans.
Matos, who is just 14 months younger than Vardy, knows the forward's pedigree from his long career at Leicester City, where he scored 200 goals. "He is someone who understands how to score goals," said Matos, the Swansea head coach. "He moves really well - he always did that. He has a lot of talent - his finishing skills are there."
Burnley's tough start
The match pits a Swansea side sitting third in the Championship against a Burnley team struggling near the bottom. Nicky Hayen's side were relegated from the Premier League last season and are still searching for their first league win of this campaign. Matos acknowledged the challenge, noting Burnley have a new coach and a good squad.
Swansea's own form has been solid, with 11 points from six games putting them just three points behind leaders West Ham. That single loss was a 3-1 defeat away to Southampton last weekend, where Žan Vipotnik scored a second-half penalty for the Swans.
Looking ahead
With key players like Cameron Burgess and Gonçalo Franco currently sidelined, Matos will need to manage his resources carefully through a busy period. After the Burnley fixture, attention turns to an away trip to face 19th-placed Lincoln City next Saturday. The full schedule of upcoming games is available on our fixtures list.
The Swans boss will be demanding a reaction from his players after the Southampton setback. Securing a positive result against a motivated Burnley side featuring a fresh Jamie Vardy would be a significant statement.
