RAFAEL BENITEZ expects to be fit enough to lead Newcastle United into this Sunday’s Premier League tussle with Swansea City after surgery to remove an infection.

The Magpies boss, who has had his frustrations away from the playing field already in terms of a lack of transfer activity, has had to miss training this week because he has been recovering from last week's operation in Cheshire.

Benitez was keen to have the issue addressed during the international break, having felt discomfort on the hernia which was operated on before he took over at Real Madrid a couple of years ago.

The recovery process on a problem that was greater than initially thought has meant the Spanish boss was unable to lead the last couple of sessions.

Benitez and the club now hope he will be back on the training ground at the Benton complex on Friday to oversee a session or two before then leading the team into Sunday’s game in South Wales. He is desperate to be in the dug-out in the hope of watching Newcastle build on the victory over West Ham last month.

The Swansea challenge is likely to be a testing one, with Newcastle warned to expect a ‘new signing bounce’ when the home side give two high-profile arrivals an outing against a team frustrated by a lack of transfer activity.

While the Magpies’ manager Benitez was left feeling short-changed from a first summer transfer window following promotion from the Championship, the Swans ended deadline day with a couple of recruits to whet the appetite in South Wales.

Benitez was unable to add further to his squad on deadline day, while Swansea boss Paul Clement followed up the return of striker Wilfried Bony by pulling off one of the surprises of the summer.

Portuguese midfielder Renato Sanches was lured to Swansea from Bayern Munich, where he struggled to impress last season after making a move from Benfica initially worth £30m and could eventually still rise to a staggering £67m dependant on add-ons.

Sanches and Bony, two players to have previously been on Newcastle’s transfer radar, are set to be involved against Newcastle – with many suggesting such calibre of player should have been high in the thinking at St James’ Park.

Newcastle can expect a vibrant and expectant Liberty Stadium. Swansea skipper Leon Britton said: “We have Wilfried Bony coming back and also Renato Sanches being part of things for the first time. That will give the crowd a big lift.

“I think having those two involved will boost everyone and create a really good atmosphere at the stadium. Hopefully that will help us get a win.”

Bony was regularly targeted by Newcastle during Alan Pardew’s time in charge. In the end the Ivorian moved to Swansea in the summer of 2013, where he scored 34 goals in 70 appearances before his £28m switch to Manchester City two years later.

“We know Bony well,” Britton said. “He was great for us in the 18 months that he was here before. He has not played as much as he would have liked recently and has maybe lost his way a little bit, but I think he will be loved straightaway here and hopefully he can pick up his old form.”

If Bony – or another former Newcastle target Tammy Abraham - figures in attack it remains to be seen which defenders he will face.

Benitez, who missed out on adding Southampton full-back Matt Targett on deadline day, has learned Chancel Mbemba has picked up an injury on international duty.

The DR Congo defender was forced off on the hour when his country drew 2-2 with Tunisia on Tuesday, and now Benitez faces an anxious wait to determine the extent of the problem. Benitez will already be considering alternatives.

Centre-back Florian Lejeune’s return to fitness ahead of the trip to South Wales does at least provide Benitez with the option of asking Ciaran Clark to move over to full-back – even if he would prefer to keep the Irishman in the middle.

Former Newcastle defender Jose Enrique, meanwhile, has been forced to retire.

The 31-year-old had been unable to recover from a long term knee problem which prevented him from playing as much as he would have liked during his Real Zaragoza loan last season.