Marcos Painter says that he is fit and raring to go ahead of the new Championship campaign which kicks-off in just 52 days.

The left-back missed a large part of last season through injury and has been working solidly to ensure that he'll be ready for when the players report back for pre-season training at the end of the month.

And Painter was delighted to read that the Swans will kick-off 2009/10 with a trip to the Midlands to tackle the Foxes of Leicester (August 8), but admits that it won't be easy.

"Leicester will be a tough place to start the new season," said the 22-year-old, who hails from nearby Birmingham.

"They will have a point to prove having just come up from League One as champions, just like we did 12 months ago, but I'm sure all of the players will be up for it.

"There are still a couple of teams from that area in the league after Wolves and Birmingham went up, which now includes Leicester, so I'll have a few requests from friends and family for me to get them tickets for that one.

"It's always nice to go and play games from the area that you're from, and even better to go there and get a result."

While the former Birmingham City youngster is obviously looking forward to a return to the Midlands, there were quite a few other clashes that jumped out at Painter as he filtered through the Swans' schedule.

"The two games against Cardiff obviously caught my eye," he added.

"I think that would be the case for most of players as they're big local derbies.

"I'm also looking forward to taking on the teams relegated from the Premiership (Newcastle, Middlesbrough and West Brom).

"It will be a fantastic challenge for us to play at their grounds and against squads which still include many top names."

The one-cap Republic of Ireland Under-21 international has been out of action since suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage against Southampton back in October, a few weeks after committing his future to the club by signing a new long-term contract.

He spent the remainder of the season strengthening the knee but now insists that he's ready to join his team mates on the training pitch and prepare for the new campaign.

"It's been a long time since I last played and I'm just itching to get back into action.

"I feel fit and looking to get a good pre-season under my belt before the season gets underway in August."

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