Swansea City vs Burnley preview - Monk eyeing more quality additions

Swansea manager Garry Monk believes he has more quality to call on this season - but admits he does need extra bodies to bolster his squad.

Monk drafted in Gylfi Sigurdsson, Lukasz Fabianski, Bafetimbi Gomis, Jefferson Montero and Marvin Emnes over the summer and on Wednesday captured Argentina defender Federico Fernandez from Napoli for a fee understood to be around the B£8million mark.

But Swansea were also depleted as Ben Davies and Michel Vorm left for Tottenham, loan signing Jonathan de Guzman headed for Napoli and the Spanish quartet of Michu, Pablo Hernandez, Chico Flores and Alejandro Pozuelo were among the other players who left.

"It is different to last season. We had 25-26 senior professionals last season and now I have five or six of the Under-21s in my squad," Monk said ahead of newly-promoted Burnley's trip to the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

"So in terms of that there is a big difference, but in terms of the players we can bring on, it is better.

"There were players we have got rid of from last season and the players we have brought in I believe are better players.

"That is how I feel, but in terms of numbers of senior professionals we do need two or three players.b

"We are in a very tough league that gets better every year and you have to add quality every year and get a group that is good together.

"It has been a mammoth effort from everyone involved this summer to put these things in place on the budget we have, but at this moment we have worked it well."

Monk points to the signing of Fernandez as a symbol of the shrewd business Swansea have done this summer, the 25-year-old centre-half having been a World Cup starter for Argentina in Brazil before injury struck.

"He is an Argentina international, has played at a very high level with Napoli and was highly considered over there," Monk said.

"It's important we try and improve the quality all the time and he fits our profile.

"He is a good ball-playing centre-half, he is a good size and suits the way we play. Hopefully he can adapt as quick as possible and offer us the quality he obviously possesses.

"The Premier League is an eye-opener for everyone, but you don't play for the sides he has played for without being physical.

"Coming through in Argentina is very physical, they are a tough people naturally and he should suit us well.

"It's now about getting him up to full fitness as he had an extended break after the World Cup, more than some of our other players like Ki (Sung-yeung) and (Wilfried) Bony, as they reached the final."

Swansea, who remain without Leon Britton, Marvin Emnes and Jay Fulton, could hand a debut to Tottenham midfielder Tom Carroll who has arrived on loan for the remainder of the season, subject to international clearance.

The England Under-21 international has made 23 appearances for Tottenham and will strengthen Swansea's midfield options.

Burnley boss Sean Dyche has warned against reading too much into his side's season-opening defeat to Chelsea.

The Clarets lost 3-1 to the Barclays Premier League title favourites on their return to the top flight, conceding three goals in 17 minutes after taking a shock lead.

Chelsea controlled the game and might have added to their tally had they pushed on in the second half, but Dyche is not drawing any quick conclusions from the match.

He admits his side are not competing with the likes of Jose Mourinho's men and will instead be looking to take points from the likes of Swansea, who they face on Saturday.

"Against the super elite teams like Chelsea and Manchester City, that end of the market, it will always be very difficult," he said.

"Our market is a different one, we're not a top five or top six club - that's not defeatist it's just realistic. We do positive realities here.

"I always believe in being pragmatic and working with the group I've got and I don't think our marker is whether our style works against Chelsea.

"We're slightly more reality bound. In the Championship we were thinking 'why not?' 'why shouldn't it be us?' and we're still thinking that but in the knowledge of how powerful some of these clubs are.

"We talked to the lads after Chelsea and said 'that's for us to learn from'. That's not being little old Burnley, that's just a fact."

Such self-effacing talk, combined with the most limited budget in the league, makes Burnley likely candidates to be the neutrals' favourites this season.

It is a position Dyche - a likeable blend of guttural northern tones and unexpected coaching jargon - welcomes, but one he knows means little without results to back it up.

"I think there's a lot of good feeling about Burnley out there," he said.

"There'a a lot of fans who are not all part of the glory clubs, a lot of fans who just want to see football move forward, the underdog to win and their own little club to do well.

"I think there will be a lot of good feeling for us but we want more than that - we want to play good football, win football matches and challenge ourselves with the task in front of us."

Striker Sam Vokes remains Burnley's only absentee.

The Wales international remains sidelined with anterior cruciate ligament damage but the Clarets have everyone else available, including new signing Stephen Ward.

The Republic of Ireland international will compete with Ben Mee for the left-back position and can also operate in midfield.