Cardiff face the daunting task of starting 2014 away at League leaders Arsenal. The Bluebirds, still without a manger, may hold some hope with Arsenal suffering a lengthy injury list. Theuy will be with midfield stars Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil. The two players who caused City most trouble at CCS a few weeks ago. Full details below of who else is out for The Gunners.
Arsenal kicks off the first of a run of difficult away games for City that also include Man City and Man Utd in January and Swansea in February. Cardiff will have to hope that home form helps them when the face West Ham, Norwich, Villa and Hull over the next two months.
Early team news
Barclays Premier League leaders Arsenal will be without striker Olivier Giroud (ankle) and Kieran Gibbs (calf) for the New Year's Day game against Cardiff, but expect other key men to be available.
Midfielders Tomas Rosicky (calf), Jack Wilshere (ankle) and forward Theo Walcott (shoulder) were all carrying minor knocks, while defenders Nacho Monreal and Thomas Vermaelen have both been laid low by illness.
However, following Tuesday's training session, all should now be involved in the squad.
Midfielder Aaron Ramsey (thigh) will be out for around three weeks, while the extent of German playmaker Mesut Ozil's shoulder problem is still being assessed. Yaya Sanogo (back), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Abou Diaby (both knee) all remain sidelined.
Craig Bellamy will again miss out for Cardiff.
The veteran forward has been struggling with a knee injury and will not feature at the Emirates, while left-back Andrew Taylor is also set to miss out with a knock.
That means teenager Declan John should continue in defence, while caretaker boss David Kerslake may decide to recall Aron Gunnarsson and Peter Odemwingie to his side.
The managers:
Arsene Wenger
Arsene Wenger confirmed a lengthy injury list as Arsenal prepare to face Cardiff City.
“Starting of course first with Ramsey and Özil who are out, and we lost Gibbs at Newcastle with a calf strain,” Wenger said.
“We have as well Monreal and Vermaelen who are not certain to be ready because they have come just back from illness, then we have uncertainty about [Tomas] Rosicky, [Jack] Wilshere and [Theo] Walcott.
“We lost Giroud to an ankle problem at Newcastle so this morning will be more medical checks to see who will be available for the game.
“Ramsey three weeks and Özil has seen a specialist last night, I haven’t got a report yet.”
Wenger also said that Walcott has picked up a minor shoulder injury and will undergo a late fitness test along with Rosicky.
“Walcott has a little shoulder problem,” he added. “Rosicky got a little kick on his calf. They are all going to be assessed this morning.”
David Kerslake
He held brief talks with owner Vincent Tan ahead of Saturday's 2-2 draw with Sunderland, but was not told how long he will remain at the helm.
"I don't know anything. It's as we were the last game. I've been told to take temporary charge of the team and that's the only thing that I know," said Kerslake.
Asked whether he knew if Cardiff were close to an appointment, Kerslake replied: "No, absolutely in the dark on that situation.
"I spoke to the owner, chief exec and the chairman before the game against Sunderland and it was just really thanking me for taking the team and wished me well."
Tottenham have promoted Tim Sherwood from caretaker to a full-time role, but Kerslake has reiterated that he wants to stay as a coach.
He said: "No interest. No, again with great respect, I'm not interested in the job.
"I said before that I love coaching. I enjoy being out on the grass with the players and I have no interest in dealing with politics."
Match Appointments
Referee: Jonathan Moss. Assistants: S Long, S Child. Fourth Official: P Gibbs.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Arsenal are unbeaten in the past 12 matches in all competitions against Cardiff (W7, D5), since a 3-2 home defeat in February 1961.
- The Gunners are winless in their past three home top-flight games against the Bluebirds (D2, L1), albeit the most recent of those matches was in 1962.
- Former Cardiff player Aaron Ramsey scored twice in Arsenal's 3-0 win when the two sides met at the Cardiff City Stadium in November. Mathieu Flamini fired the third.
- This is the second time the two clubs have met on New Year's Day. Arsenal won 3-2 at Highbury in an old Division One clash in 1927.
Arsenal
- Arsene Wenger's table-topping side collected a league-high 82 league points (W25, D7, L6) in 2013. That is despite failing to win their first three games of the calendar year (D1, L2).
- Arsenal have only scored 16 times in nine Premier League home games this season.
- They share the record for fewest Premier League goals conceded (18) and most clean sheets (8) this season.
- Arsenal have the best shooting accuracy (54.5%) in the Premier League this season, whereas Cardiff have the worst (35.7%).
Cardiff
- Cardiff have recorded only one league win in nine games. They have conceded at least two goals in seven of those matches.
- All four of the Bluebirds' league wins this season have been by a single-goal margin.
- Cardiff have scored just four first-half goals. They led at the break for the first time this campaign in Saturday's draw with Sunderland.
- Only 18 different players have started a league game for Cardiff this season, fewer than at any other Premier League club.
Teams
Arsenal (from): Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Jenkinson, Arteta, Flamini, Wilshere, Cazorla, Walcott, Podolski, Fabianski, Rosicky, Monreal, Vermaelen, Bendtner, Gnabry, Frimpong.
Cardiff (from): Marshall, Connolly, Caulker, Hudson, Turner, Whittingham, Medel, Cornelius, Campbell, Odemwingie, Brayford, Kim, Smith, Noone, Gunnarsson, Mutch, Cowie, Maynard, Theophile-Catherine, Lewis, John.