The Swansea City captain returns from suspension having missed the win over Crystal Palace last week and is expecting a tough test for the Swans at the home of the league leaders.<\/p>\n
But he also wants this one a little more than he does most games and also warned Cardiff that the Swans pose a real threat on Sunday and they should not be underestimated.<\/p>\n
Monk told the Western Mail: \u201cWhen you look at the squad they have assembled, the money they have spent and the wages they are on, we expect a tough, tough game.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are paying Premiership wages, so they\u2019ve got Premiership players.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of their players is probably on more money a week than our whole squad, so it shows you what we are up against.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I saw they were signing the likes of Craig Bellamy and Jason Koumas down from the Premiership, and with the rest of the goal scoring options they already had, I knew they would be strong candidates.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are top of the league for a reason \u2013 they\u2019ve played the best football.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we\u2019ve got our own threats going forward they will need to be wary of us.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got five clean sheets in the league and we score goals as well. We want to keep that going on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so sorry for Pratley. He is bitterly disappointed to be missing this game and he is a big player for us.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will miss him, but there are other players to come in and they have a chance to shine.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou note the expectation more so than any other game in the league, because of what it means to everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s more like a cup final because of the build-up and atmosphere. It means to the world to us and we\u2019ve told the new players what to expect.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a big occasion, but we have to make sure it does not get to our heads and we just play our own game.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou sense that extra pressure not to lose, especially at home, so the pressure is on them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey will be favourites, they are top of the league so we have to put a good performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a terrible loser, but I want to win this game even more than usual because I know how much it means.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to give the fans the bragging rights and that makes you push the extra bit harder.<\/p>\n
\u201cBellamy is world class,\u201d said Monk. \u201cI look at the Champions League this week and you could easily see him playing in there and making an impact.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s done what he\u2019s done, it\u2019s his choice. Cardiff are lucky to have him and he seems very happy to be there.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe will be doing what he does best, trying to beat defenders and win the game for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good to come up against good players, you want to test yourself against the best and a lot of their players are among the best in this league.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we\u2019ve got strong squad and we have each learnt a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n