The subs will be harder to predict. Andy Campbell aggrevated his thigh injury in the reserve team game so is ruled out. A chance maybe for Gavin Gordon to get back into contention. Spencer Prior and Gary Croft are possibles and Jason Bowen is said to be nursing a bad back. Select from Margetson, Maxwell, Whalley, Bonner who could be joined by Gordon and maybe Prior or Croft.
The starting XI will be Alexander, Weston, Vidmar, Collins, Barker, Langley, Boland, Kavanagh, Robinson, Earnshaw and Thorne.
The visitors Gillingham could have player manager Andy Hessenthaler in their side. They will also have Mamady Sidibi, the Mali international that made a huge impact at Swansea a season or two ago. Sidibi flies out to join his Mali team-mates for international duty next week.
Tommy Johnson completes a ban tomorrow but will get his chance next week in Sidibi's absence. Gillingham also have a new goalkeeper. As reported earlier this week they have signed Bertrand Bossou after the injury that will keep Vince Bartram out for a couple of months.
The last time the teams met it was the game that relegated City to the 3rd division in 2000. A couple of months later Sam joined the club and here we are a division better than we were before we went down and in a much stronger position. In May 2000 Cardiff needed to win their last two games. Gillingham away and Bristol Rovers at home. At Gillingham Jason Bowen opened the scoring but it all went wrong with Andy Legg being sent off and City going down on the night 4 - 1 and down on the season to Division 3. We beat Bristol Rovers in the last game but it didn't matter.
Cardiff face 6 games in 18 days. Gillingham at home is followed in quick succession by Reading and Sheff Utd away. Then City return to Ninian Park to face West Ham in the Carling Cup and then back to back home league games v Crewe and Wigan.
Kick off is at 3:00pm on Saturday and there will be chatroom and messageboard coverage of the game with reports and reaction following from Saturday night on.