Nigerian international, Sone Aluko, will this afternoon lead his Hull City side out as they play host to Swansea City at the Kingston Communication Stadium.
Aluko’s African brother, Wilfried Bony, who has scored eight goals for the Welsh club this season, including four in his last five appearances, and currently ranks as the Premier League’s top scorer for 2014 with 21.
Swansea will have to adapt to cope without their star striker when he departs for the Africa Cup of Nations in January, but Monk, who will also lose South Korean Ki Sung-yueng to the Asian Cup, says there is more to his side than simply the powerful Ivorian.
Michael Dawson (hamstring) joined Mohamed Diame (knee) and Robert Snodgrass (knee) in the KC Stadium treatment room when he was forced from the field during last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at Chelsea, and is set to be out for up to five weeks.
Tom Huddlestone is suspended after seeing red for a challenge on Filipe Luis at Stamford Bridge, and the ongoing saga over the future of Hatem Ben Arfa saw Bruce concede the Frenchman had probably played his last game for the club.
The mounting absences compound what is spiralling into a worrying run of form for Hull, who are without a win in nine Premier League matches, but Bruce has backed his players to ride out the storm.
Swansea’s last league win over Hull was the famous 4-2 triumph in 2003 that ensured Football League survival for the men from south Wales.