The problem has arisen in central midfield, where Jackett has learnt that Kris O'Leary, Alan Tate and Roberto Martinez will all be unavailable. Kris O'Leary has been ruled out for much of the festive period and is unlikely to return until February - a fact that Jackett was already well aware of. However, Roberto Martinez has been rated as extremely doubtful after sustaining a minor hamstring injury in Swansea's 2-0 victory at Rushden on Monday...the same fixture that saw Alan Tate pick up his fifth booking of the season and rule himself out of the tie through suspension.
Although Jackett does have a wealth of midfield talent to choose from, including the likes of Andy Robinson, Leon Britton and the forgotten Gary Fisken, Swansea will find themselves heavily under-strength in a crucial area of the pitch. Jackett is rumoured to be considering pairing full-back Sam Ricketts and Andy Robinson in the hole, with a combination of Adrian Forbes, Bradley Maylett and Leon Britton operating on the flanks...and will clearly be hoping for a little more luck during the 90 minutes on Saturday!