A Gambian international Modou Barrow is included in the Swansea City squad that will travel to Vicarage Road to take on home side Watford as the Premier League returns on Saturday after a two week's international break.
Barrow, 22, was recalled ahead of scheduled from his loan spell at Championship side Blackburn Rovers, a day after he played his first match in front of a packed home crowd at Banjul's Independence Stadium in Gambia's Afcon qualifying defeat to Cameroon.
The tricky speedster has not featured for the Swans so far this season but on his return from Ewood Park, he was tipped to start in the London clash but the news that Jefferson Montero will be fit, after missing the victory over United with a thigh injury, could mean he will have to settle for a place in the substitutes' bench.
Swansea Coach Garry Monk took advantage of a clause in the Gambian winger's contract, allowing him to return to the Liberty Stadium after 28 days, having initially expected to spend three months at Blackburn. This came after Nathan Dyer made a surprise loan move to Leicester City on deadline day and he will now be given a chance to push for a place.
"I had sent Mo [Barrow] out because I had five [wingers], I only needed four and I wanted Mo to go and get game-time," Monk said this week.
"But it was a good offer from the club's point of view for Nathan, but also from Nathan's. I had a long chat with Nathan and it was his decision to go to try to get that game-time he's looking for."
Barrow made five appearances for the Championship club, but suddenly has a fresh opportunity to establish himself in the Premier League. Signed from Swedish club Ostersunds for £1.5million in 2014, he is highly rated by Swansea's coaching staff who regards him as one of the quickest players in the squad. He was given a new four-year contract in January before spending part of the season on loan at Nottingham Forest.
Speaking in a pre-match press conference yesterday, Monk challenged his players to turn a good start into a great one before the next international break in October. The Swans capped a promising start to the Barclays Premier League campaign by beating Manchester United 2-1 in their final game before the international break nearly two weeks ago.
Unbeaten Swansea lie in fourth place with eight points from four games before resuming hostilities at Watford on Saturday, and their early-season form has seen Monk nominated for August manager of the month with Bafetimbi Gomis and Andre Ayew both candidates to take the player's award.
After Watford, Swansea's league programme contains fixtures against Everton, Southampton and Tottenham and Monk wants his side to push on and establish themselves at the top end of the table.
"These few games before the next international break is an important period for us," Monk said at his pre-match press conference. "We can try and continue what has been a good start, the choice whether it becomes a great start or we start again back at the beginning.
"We want to try and continue what we've been doing and I'm sure the players will be focused and ready to do that. At the moment we are playing with some freedom and confidence and a good way of working, but it's so early in the season to be talking about positions in the league.
"You really need to get to that 10 to 15 game marker and it begins to even out, or you start to gauge what you can push for and what you are going to be fighting for."
SOURCE: Daily Observer
