Newcastle's Next Opponents: Everything You Need To Know About Swansea

Central-Midfield - Jonjo Shelvey And Jack Cork

While they have got Ki Sung-yueng, it's not a secret that the South Korean came off with a hamstring injury at Stamford Bridge on Saturday meaning that it is likely to be a pairing of Jonjo Shelvey and Jack Cork that Newcastle will have to deal with in midfield this weekend. Englishman Shelvey has been at the Liberty Stadium for two years now since moving from Liverpool for £5 million and, in that time, has shown flashes of the ability that encouraged the Merseysiders to pluck him from Charlton Athletic as a teenager. With a fierce shot and a decent eye for a pass, Shelvey is able to move forward without too much pressure as the opposition deal with those playing ahead of him. Shelvey was a target of Alan Pardew's while on Tyneside but was never brought in and is an important member of the side down in Wales. The midfielder has a sketchy work rate and at times nasty temperament, so perhaps it was for the best that Pardew was not allowed to recruit him for Newcastle. Distribution is the name of Jack Cork's game and he does it very well. Since arriving from Southampton, Cork has shown signs of replicating the former role of ex-Swan and current Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen, who can dictate the pace of the game with his passing ability. Cork's move in January was seen as something of a surprise to many, including Monk himself, but with opportunities limited under Ronald Koeman at Southampton, the versatile 26-year-old decided to make a move and is happy to do more of the defensive work, allowing Shelvey to run free. Shelvey has been a thorn in Newcastle's side in the past and Cork netted his first goal for the Welsh side at St James' Park last season, so Jack Colback and Vurnon Anita will have to be on their guard and will do well to track the duo. That being said, with two players in deeper positions for Newcastle, the Geordies must ensure that they get pressure on Cork, rather than just allowing him to spray the ball around, and prevent Shelvey from getting into space from which he can shoot outside the area if they are to limit the influence of the Swans pair.