Guidolin labels Villa visit as 'most important game'
REUTERS - Swansea City manager Francesco Guidolin, who returns to the dugout after missing the last three games due to illness, has described Saturday's visit of bottom side Aston Villa as the most noteworthy clash of his side's season.
Swansea sit eight points and two places above the relegation zone with eight games remaining, but have a tough end to the season, with fixtures against Chelsea, Leicester City, Liverpool, West Ham United and Manchester City to come.
Guidolin was hospitalised with a chest infection before their 2-1 away win over Arsenal on March 2 and missed his team's 1-0 home victory over Norwich City and 3-2 defeat by Bournemouth the following weekends.
"We have an important game on Saturday, and it the most important game of the season for us," the 60-year-old Italian told a pre-match news conference.
"We have to play well and we hope to get a good result to take into the last part of the season."
Seven-times champions Villa are last in the 20-team league, eight points behind 19th-placed Newcastle United and nine from safety.
"I know their situation, and I know how difficult matches like this can be," Guidolin added. "But I hope to see my team play well, with concentration and intensity."
(Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; Editing by John O'Brien)