Allyson Swaby on her return from injury, the promotion race, and representing Jamaica at the World Cup

Women

14 Feb 2026

Ahead of Palace's trip to Birmingham City on Monday, defender Allyson Swaby sat down to talk about her return from injury, the hunt for promotion, as well as the prospect of going to a third World Cup with Jamaica.

Swaby joined Palace in January 2025 from AC Milan, and has been a core part of the defence ever since.

The Jamaica international suffered an injury late on against Arsenal in the Subway Women's League Cup in December, and missed several games as a result.

Last Sunday's victory marked her return to the field, when she replaced Hayley Nolan on the 73rd minute against Bristol City.

She reflected on her spell on the sidelines, and how happy she was to be on the grass again.

"Yeah, it was great to be back in the team on Sunday.

"It was a bit of a nagging and unfortunate injury that just kind of ended up being a longer recovery than I had originally anticipated.

"So yeah, I was really happy to be back out there with the team - just to even be a part of the matchday squad again, so to get a couple minutes as well was really exciting," Swaby said.

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For us to get that result under that pressure was huge and showed a lot of character from the group
—Allyson Swaby

After last weekend's win, Palace find themselves in fourth-place, just one point behind Bristol City in third-place.

With the top three teams having a chance at promotion this season, the Eagles will need to keep winning in order to keep their Women's Super League dreams alive.

Speaking about the Bristol City performance and it's significance, Swaby said: "I was just really proud of the girls for the win, it was a huge win.

"I think the previous week we didn't get the result that we had hoped for, and I think we put ourselves in a bit of a difficult position in the table, but with Bristol being right above us, it was really a great opportunity.

"I think there was a decent amount of pressure on us to perform. So for us to get that result under that pressure was huge and showed a lot of character from the group."

A key team in the race for promotion are Monday's opponents, Birmingham City.

The Blues find themselves in second-place, having not lost in the league since Palace won 3-0 at the VBS in December.

Swaby spoke about what the team are expecting on Monday, and how December's win could be important for the team's confidence.

She said: "I think having beat them the first time around definitely helps with the belief that you already know that you can do it.

"But obviously, you also know that on the flip side, they'll come back, they're going to be super hungry. They're going to want to rectify that result.

"We know that we're going to have to be just as switched on, if not more switched on this time around.

"Every game is becoming and starting to feel more and more important as we're down to the final few here."

Having played in cities such as Paris, Milan, Rome and Los Angeles - it's fair to say that Swaby is well-travelled.

One city she was yet to add to her collection was London, and so she looked back on her last 12 months at Palace and what life has been like in the capital.

She said: "I came during a difficult moment of trying to stay up within the table within the WSL, and it was disappointing to not achieve that.

"But I think that one of the things that I like most about Palace is that whilst it was sad to go down, I felt like this is a place that deserves to be in the WSL.

"Just having all this infrastructure here is massive, and it is motivating every day to know that you're training with high-quality players and that you have the facilities and resources around you to help you achieve at the highest level.

"Honestly, the last year has just gone by really fast. London is one of my favourite cities, so I'm excited to be here.

"I think every day is like a little mini adventure here. There's always something to do outside of the football pitch. And I love being able to have that balance.

"And yeah, it's nice to be close to some family, close to my sister."

After Monday's game, Swaby will join up with the Jamaica national team ahead of their CONCACAF qualifying group stage game against Nicaragua on the 3rd March.

Success in qualifying will see Swaby and Jamaica make a third consecutive FIFA Women's World Cup next year in Brazil.

She spoke about the pride she feels whenever she represents her country, and the prospect of a third World Cup with the Reggae Girlz.

Swaby said: "It's always a great honour to represent Jamaica and it's something that I'm so proud of.

"When I look back on my career, I know it will be probably the thing I talk about the most.

"But yeah, just being able to represent your country is an incredible feeling.

"And I think every time we do it and find success, it just feels like we're defying the odds, like this little tiny country is able to achieve so much."

Swaby and the team kick off against Birmingham City on Monday at 19:00 GMT at St Andrews.

You can also see her in action on Sunday, 29th March, where Palace Women take on Charlton in a must-win game at Selhurst Park!

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Buy Charlton tickets here!

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