Quite simply it's a must win game for both sides. If there is a winner today they will feel they still have a chance of survival. Defeat for either side will surely condemn them to relegation.
Early team news
Striker Kostas Mitroglou could feature for Fulham in Saturday's bottom of the Premier League clash at Cardiff despite concerns over his hamstrings and match fitness.
Midfielder Scott Parker is out after suffering a knee injury in training which is not too serious, but winger Damien Duff (knee) has likely played his last game of the season, and possibly for the Cottagers as he is out of contract this summer.
Defender Fernando Amorebieta is still out, while William Kvist is likely to be absent with hamstring problems, despite playing 90 minutes for Denmark at Wembley on Wednesday night.
Cardiff midfielder Jordon Mutch is expected to start.
Mutch shook off a hamstring problem and played as a substitute in last weekend's 1-0 Premier League defeat at Tottenham.
Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has no fresh injury concerns to report.
The managers
Felix Magath
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Match Appointments
Referee: Martin Atkinson. Assistants: H Lennard, J Flynn. Fourth Official: C Foy.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Cardiff are chasing a third successive league win against Fulham.
- Victory would see the Bluebirds do the double over a top-flight opponent for the first time since September 1961. That month they beat Chelsea home and away in the space of a fortnight.
- The last goalless draw in this fixture came at Ninian Park on 11 December 1974.
Cardiff City
- The Welsh side have only won one of their last 12 league games (D2, L9).
- They have failed to score in their last four Premier League games, and in seven of the previous nine.
- In total, they have failed to score in 16 league games this season - the highest total in the division.
- Only Fulham (181) have allowed their opponents more shots on target against them than Cardiff this season (165) in the Premier League.
- Cardiff have conceded more headed goals than any other team in the top flight (10).
Fulham
- Fulham have failed to win their last eight league games (D2, L6). That is currently the longest winless run in the top flight.
- The Londoners' tally of three clean sheets is the lowest in the Premier League.
- They won two of their opening four away league games this season, but have taken just five points from a possible 30 since then.
- Fulham have conceded 68% of their goals in the second half of this season - the highest proportion in the Premier League.
Teams
Cardiff (from): Marshall, Taylor, Caulker, Turner, Whittingham, Jones, Campbell, Kim, Smith, Eikrem, Noone, Gunnarsson, Mutch, Cowie, McNaughton, Theophile-Catherine, Daehli, Lewis, Berget, Fabio, Zaha, Cala, Medel, Bellamy.
Fulham (from): Stekelenburg, Stockdale, Heitinga, Riether, Riise, Burn, Sidwell, Richardson, Kacaniklic, Kvist, Bent, Holtby, Kasami, Hangeland, Mitroglou.