Swansea City are preparing to kick off their Championship season against Hull City on Saturday, just one day after losing leading frontman Oli McBurnie to Sheffield United.
McBurnie has signed a four-year contract with the Bramall Lane outfit after the clubs agreed a reported £20million fee, which has dealt Swansea a huge blow in their season preparations.
It has been another summer of change at the Liberty Stadium, with Steve Cooper replacing Graham Potter as manager and a number of big-name players departing for pastures new.
The likes of Daniel James, Leroy Fer, Jordan Ayew, Martin Olsson and now McBurnie have all fled SA1, while there have been four incomings which include Jake Bidwell and Ben Wilmot.
It is likely that Swansea will need to work towards more incomings this summer, which means Cooper must select his starting line-up for the opening day without a fully formed squad.
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Here's how we expect the Swans to line up at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday...
The Swans have recently signed Newcastle United goalkeeper Freddie Woodman to compete with Kristoffer Nordfelft and Erwin Mulder for the number one spot, but Mulder should get the nod on Saturday. He started between the sticks during Swansea's final friendly match against Atalanta and he offered a more assured presence than Nordfeldt last term. However, Woodman could well oust Mulder from the starting spot when he has settled into life at the Liberty.
Cooper has deployed a similar back four throughout pre-season, so it is expected he will continue in a similar vein against Hull. Bidwell has started the majority of games at left-back since sealing his move from QPR, which means he should pip Declan John to a starting spot. Meanwhile, the rest of the backline takes on a familiar theme with Joe Rodon, Mike van der Hoorn and Connor Roberts hoping to pick up where they left off last season.
In midfield, Matt Grimes is nailed on to start after being named club captain during the week. He will most likely be accompanied by the sturdy presence of Jay Fulton after an impressive pre-season campaign which saw the midfielder score an unlikely hat-trick against Yeovil. However, it is not inconceivable that George Byers gets the nod and he should play a role on Saturday regardless.
Bersant Celina was trusted with a central attacking midfield role throughout last season and his gifted playing style means he will surely take on the position again during the coming campaign. In terms of wingers, it looks like Wayne Routledge will start on the right-wing after signing a new contract during the summer, while Barrie Mckay should start on the other channel after looking sharp in pre-season.
The biggest question mark will be over who starts up front following McBurnie's departure. Cooper could turn to Courtney Baker-Richardson who was McBurnie's back-up last season, or he could opt to play without a striker and use Celina in a more advanced role. However, it is expected Cooper will go with Baston in the forward role after a string of appearances during pre-season. The Spaniard may still be sold by the club this summer, but there can be little doubt that he would provide a solid option for the Swans while they find a replacement for McBurnie.