Hull City v Swansea City: Monk dismisses one-man-team tag

Garry Monk insists Swansea City are not a one-man team ahead of their visit to Hull City in the Premier League on Saturday.

Wilfried Bony has scored eight goals for the Welsh club this season, including four in his last five appearances, and currently ranks as the Premier League’s top scorer for 2014 with 21.

Swansea will have to adapt to cope without their star striker when he departs for the Africa Cup of Nations in January, but Monk, who will also lose South Korean Ki Sung-yueng to the Asian Cup, says there is more to his side than simply the powerful Ivorian.

“We are a collective,” he said. “It’s not just about Bony, other boys have contributed.

“I wish there were six or seven players scoring freely, but we are a collective and we don’t care who scores.

“We’ve got other good players. [Bafetimbi] Gomis been awaiting his chance, it’s been difficult for him.

“We don’t rely on Bony at all, it’s a collective and it will be an opportunity for others.

“We will possibly look at bringing in cover [in the January transfer window], but it has to be right for team and the club. I’m not bringing in players for sake of it.”

Monk will have a fully fit squad to choose from this weekend, while goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is set to return from a one-match ban.

Michael Dawson (hamstring) joined Mohamed Diame (knee) and Robert Snodgrass (knee) in the KC Stadium treatment room when he was forced from the field during last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at Chelsea, and is set to be out for up to five weeks.

Tom Huddlestone is suspended after seeing red for a challenge on Filipe Luis at Stamford Bridge, and the ongoing saga over the future of Hatem Ben Arfa saw Bruce concede the Frenchman had probably played his last game for the club.

The mounting absences compound what is spiralling into a worrying run of form for Hull, who are without a win in nine Premier League matches, but Bruce has backed his players to ride out the storm.

“I have a big belief the squad is big enough to cope,” he said. “We are stretched to the limit at the moment but we can’t make that excuse.”

Bruce will take encouragement from his side’s recent record against Swansea, having drawn two and won two of the last four fixtures between the sides, including a 1-0 win at the KC Stadium in April.

Swansea’s last league win over Hull was the famous 4-2 triumph in 2003 that ensured Football League survival for the men from south Wales.