Swansea City manager Garry Monk has warned his players that they cannot afford to sulk when competition for starting places begins to heat up.
Playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson started last Saturday's friendly draw against Deportivo La Coruna on the bench, and while Monk advised fans not to read into pre-season team sheets, he says that players will have to deal with disappointment when not involved.
"It's a team game. If you want an individual game you should go and play tennis," he told reporters. "Players have to understand this is why we build a squad because there will times where particular players suit a certain game, be it because they're more offensive, more defensive or a mixture of both to suit the game.
"That's why we've built a squad here so we can do that. You have to understand you're in a team sport and there are no individuals here - I don't buy into any of that.
"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. I've made that clear to them and there's no problems."
Swansea face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in their opening game of the Premier League season on Saturday.
Miles Jolliffe
