‘Wilf was far from pleased when I joked I’d rest him for City clash’
WILFRIED Bony’s motivation levels will be through the roof against Manchester City, with Paul Clement revealing his joke about resting the Swansea City striker for the visit of his former club has not gone down well.
The Ivorian has scored in Swansea’s last two games, opening the scoring in defeat at Stoke before producing a thunderous late winner against West Brom.
Those goals mark the first time the 29-year-old has scored in consecutive Premier League fixtures in three years as he looks to rediscover his best form.
Having joined City in a deal worth £28million on the back of a superb first spell with Swansea, Bony’s stint at the Etihad Stadium did not unfold as player or club would have wished.
He ended up making just 46 appearances, 20 of which were starts, and scoring 10 goals for the Citizens in his two-and-a-half injury-hit years on their books.
He will look to exorcise some of those frustrations when Pep Guardiola’s men visit the Liberty Stadium, and was suitably non-plussed when Clement teased him about the notion of starting on the bench tomorrow night.
“I asked if he wanted a rest, and you can imagine the reaction that I got,” said Clement.
“I wasn’t serious, I was just winding him up
“It’s similar to when we played Stoke, he wants to do well.
“His motivation? It’s 11 out of 10, it is high.
“I think he feels he had a part of his career where he did so well here, and then he went there and did not get to the level he wanted.
“He has a point to prove to lots of people.
“But step-by-step he is getting fitter and sharper and the goals are starting to come.
“It was a fantastic finish at Stoke, a top class goal and a world class finish, and what a big moment on Saturday.
“With the pressure on us, it was absolutely clinical.”
Bony has skippered the Swans in the last four matches, with Federico Fernandez missing three and also being left on the bench against the Baggies.
And he has seemed to revel in the responsibility, with Clement speaking warmly of the manner in which the former Vitesse Arnhem man addressed his team-mates before Saturday’s crunch game.
“He has embraced it. Federico had it until he had to go back to Argentina for a family situation,” said Clement.
“I had not asked Wilfried if he wanted it, but I saw the qualities in him.
“He said some great words before the game Saturday and has led by example too.”
Fernandez could be recalled to the starting line-up, while Clement confirmed that Kyle Bartley is back in training after nearly four months out with a knee injury and is edging closer to a first-team return.
But Wayne Routledge is an injury doubt after experiencing some tightness after making his first Premier League start since August at the weekend.