Thursday 20 November 2014 23:15, UK
Swansea boss Garry Monk will not recall striker Michu to the club when Wilfried Bony goes to play in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Bony will be on international duty with Ivory Coast for the tournament, which starts in January in Equatorial Guinea.
The player could be absent for as many as six Swansea games depending on how his nation fare in the competition.
The 25-year-old could miss Premier League games against West Ham, Chelsea, Southampton, Sunderland and West Brom, as well as a potential FA Cup fourth round tie.
Michu scored 22 goals in his first season at Swansea but made little impact in an injury-disrupted second campaign last term and the player's frustration has continued in Italy, where he is on loan at Napoli.
The 28-year-old has made only five appearances for the Serie A club, has failed to play a full 90 minutes and has yet to score for Rafa Benitez's side.
Monk insists he has not considered bringing the Spanish international back, and that he is likely to look elsewhere.
"Michu is on loan at Napoli for the season," Monk said. "I'm not even thinking about that, I've not even checked the details of the loan.
"Obviously Ivory Coast's qualification dictates what you do in terms of January. We may have to go into the loan market or do something to cover it.
"We've already been looking at all the positions but now Bony has qualified a striker is the position we do now have to cover.
"We could promote from within, but it is likely to be a loan. It might be a loan with a view to a permanent or to next season, or just for a month.
"We don't know but we will look at all the options."
