Manchester City v Swansea City: Monk takes no heart from Pellegrini injury woe

Garry Monk says Manchester City have the depth to cope with their significant list of absentees ahead of Saturday’s clash with Swansea City.

The defending Premier League champions could be without four first-team regulars as they look to reverse a poor run of form at the Etihad Stadium this weekend.

Manuel Pellegrini’s men have won just one of their last six matches in all competitions and were held to a 2-2 draw at lowly QPR prior to the international break.

The hosts – who face Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday – are likely to be without the injured Aleksandar Kolarov (ankle), while captain Vincent Kompany (calf), David Silva (knee) and Edin Dzeko (calf) are also doubtful.

However, Swansea boss Monk insists City have the squad to deal with such problems.

“The players they have to come in would get in most sides,” he said. “They probably look at this as a chance to get three points, but hopefully we can put on a performance to try and get points.

“They’re a good side. It’s a tough place to go, they are an extremely good squad, defending champions. It’s a tough proposition for us but one we look forward to.

“The players relish playing them to see how far they’ve come as individuals and a group and we can see how far we have come.”

Swansea have not had much luck at the site of their first Premier League fixture back in 2011.

That encounter set the tone for the two that have followed in Manchester, with Swansea losing all three meetings at the Etihad – conceding eight goals and scoring none.

But the Liberty Stadium outfit have given an excellent account of themselves in the top flight this season and would pull level on points with City should they pick up an unexpected win.

However, Monk says he has not altered his expectations for the campaign, despite a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Arsenal last time out.

“We just focus on the next game,” he added. “If you look too far ahead, you lose track of what you’re doing. We’re just looking at Man City and giving that 100 per cent commitment.

“You obviously look at the table, but my focus is on attacking every game as best we can and getting the best performance that will hopefully get us enough points to stay in the top half.

“But we’re realistic. Teams below us are very powerful financially, but we’re competing so far.”

While Manchester City struggle with injuries, Federico Fernandez (calf) looks set to be the only absentee for the visitors.

Wilfried Bony, who signed a one-year contract extension with Swansea earlier this week, may be rested after only returning from international duty with Ivory Coast late on Thursday, while Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge are in line for a return.