Garry Monk says that every player is fighting for their place as they end their home pre-season friendlies against Kilmarnock
The Swans entertain the Scottish side at the Libert ythis afternoon and Monk believes that every player is playing for their place against Leicester next weekend.
It is just seven days until the new season starts and with manager Paulo Sousa promising a clear out next week with new faces coming in, the Swans skipper believes that nobody is guaranteed their start next Saturday
Monk said “This is last chance for all of us to stake our claim for the Leicester game
“No-one is guaranteed a place in the starting XI.
“Hopefully I’ve done enough but you never know. I’m sure that’s how all the boys feel.
“We are all pushing for that game and it’s really competitive. Everyone wants to be involved when the real season kicks off.
“I don’t know how close this team will be to the one that starts in Leicester. But you would have thought the gaffer would want to get close and give a number of players a full 90 minutes.
“You never know in football though. Paulo doesn’t give much away and everyone is on their toes.
“I’m glad it has changed from Almeria in a way because Kilmarnock will be a lot closer to the sort of teams we will be facing in the Championship,” said Monk.
“We haven’t played a team of that standard yet and, while that’s not a bad thing as such because of the lessons we learn from foreign teams, you want a proper dress rehearsal before the season starts.
“It’s good to end pre-season against someone that will be similar in style to the English game.
“It should be a good test and a chance to keep the momentum going. In terms of results we have done really well in pre-season and we want to continue that as we build towards Leicester.
“We are looking to prove a point this season because I’m sure a lot of people will be writing us off again after all the departures this summer.
“We know we need to get off to a good start in order to do that so it would be great to keep building some form.
“I don’t really know much about Kilmarnock. I know their striker Kevin Kyle is a bit of a handful but that’s about it.
“They will be coming here to win though and that’s all that really matters. We just need to make sure we are on top of our game so that we can finish pre-season off on a winning note.
“It will be a tough ask but we will be ready. The main thing is that we are in tip-top condition for the Leicester game."