Garry Monk was a happy man after seeing his side come through a tough test with a 1-1 draw in Grassau against Borussia Monchengladbach.

Monk gave 22 players a run out in the game, making eleven substitutes at the hour mark to highlight the strength in depth that we now have in the squad.

He gave debuts to all four of his summer signings - Tabanou and Ayew from the start and Nordfeldt and Eder in the second half and watched as Matt Grimes celebrated his 20th birthday with his first goal for the Swans first team to get them the point.

The Swans had trailed to a 14th minute opener from the hosts but in the end it was a good result against a side that qualified this season for the Champions League.

Speaking after the game, the Swans boss said “I thought for our first game we did very well,’’ declared Monk. “We played against a very good team in Borussia — they finished third in their league last season and have qualified for the Champions League.

“But we dominated the game, and to do that against an opponent who has already played two games before this match was very pleasing.

“It’s always difficult to play in heat like that, but I thought we handled it very well. Our fitness levels continued to be strong and we finished the game the stronger of the two teams.

"The new players have integrated well within the group, so there were plenty of good things to come from this game,

“We planned it so that we would play a team for 60 minutes and another 11 for 30. Then we will flip that for the next game against 1860 Munich on Saturday.

“It allows everyone to get plenty of minutes under their belts. It helps their physical element, which is very important.

“There’s plenty for us to improve on, but we are on the right path.’’

Photo: Action Images

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