Garry Monk was pulling no punches when he was questioned about the situation regarding certain players and whether they would make next weekend's season opener at Chelsea as he puts the final touches to the season preparation.

It is a refreshing view to hear the words of a manager who will make decisions that may not be popular but will be done with the viewpoint of what is right for the team at any one given point in time.

Monk has worked hard over the past 18 months to get his squad into a position where he has competition in every area and now that he is there he knows that he will have the chance to use all the players depending on the situation and the opposition.

The Swans boss will send his side out at Stamford Bridge next Saturday evening knowing that it is a tough test to start any season but also that the team he picks will be the team that he believes is best equipped to get the Swans a result to start the season.

The words he has used in the press I suspect he is happily using amongst the players although he will be clearly hoping that none of them take him up on his tennis offer!

He said: "It's a team game. If you want an individual game you should go and play tennis.

"They have to understand this is why we build a squad, because there will times where particular players suit a certain game, like if you're more offensive or more defensive or a mixture of both.

"That's why we've built a squad here, so we have players who are suitable for certain situations.

"You have to understand you're in a team sport and there are no individuals here, I don't buy into any of that. I will select a team based on what we need for that game. I've made that clear to the players and there's no problems.

"Any disappointments you have, you have to deal with. That's the life of a professional footballer."

There will be exceptions to the rule I suspect in players that he will use far more than others and you would assume that the likes of Fab, Ash and Fede are pretty much guaranteed spots because Monk will know that a stable defence is important to any form of success on the pitch. That said all three players will be aware of the competition behind them and know that they will only be used if they are on form which has to be a good thing to have three like that on the top of their game.

You'll see the characters of the squad through the season," he added. "I've been clear about it, that's why we wanted options.

"If we were all the same it would be pointless having 22 players — you want players who can offer different things in the same position.

"It's a team sport. It's hard for players, but you have to sacrifice sometimes for the team because the team comes first."

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