Cardiff are hoping to build on an unbeaten start to the Championship season. Huddersfield are the visitors to the Capital today but there's no return for former Bluebird Mark Hudson. The defender misses the trip through injury.
Really gutted to be missing the trip this weekend. That's what football does. Wishing the lads all the best.
— Mark Hudson (@M_Hudson5) September 11, 2015
Early team news:
Cardiff manager Russell Slade must check on his international players before naming his side for the Sky Bet Championship visit of Huddersfield.
David Marshall, Anthony Pilkington, Aron Gunnarsson and Bruno Manga were all involved for their respective countries during the international break.
But Slade is expected to name the same team which has beaten Wolves and Nottingham Forest in their last two league games to move into the top five of the division.
Defender Ben Turner (ankle) and striker Federico Macheda (back) are definitely out.
Huddersfield's new loan signing Jed Steer is expected to go straight into the starting line-up as goalkeeper Joe Murphy is ruled out through injury.
Steer, who arrived in time from Aston Villa on a 28-day loan on Friday, could be joined in the side by another new loan signing, Elliott Ward, who is likely to start as skipper Mark Hudson is ruled out against his former club due to an ankle injury.
Midfielders Jamie Paterson and Emyr Huws, hoping to shake off an ankle injury, could make their first appearances for the club and fellow new loan recruit Mustapha Carayol is hoping to make his first start.
Manager Chris Powell has hinted teenage striker Flo Bojaj could feature after impressing for the reserves, but James Vaughan sustained a knock in training and will not feature.
Unbeaten Cardiff head into their clash with third-bottom Huddersfield asfavourites to claim their third win of the season while the Terriers are to get their season up and running with a maiden victory. The Bluebirds are among the highest scoring sides in the division with eight but given the lack of total goals in Huddersfield games (nine in five games) it's just 8/11 that fewer than 2.5 are netted in this clash and evens that more are scored. Kenwyne Jones is 5/1 favourite to score first and 15/8 to add to his season tally of two at anytime while Huddersfield striker Nahki Wells, who has struck two of his side's three goals in the Championship, is 13/4 and 9/4 in the respective markets.
The managers:
Russell Slade
"Everybody is back. I’m happy, it’s good to see everybody back in the camp again. One and two only had their first training sessions yesterday. David Marshall and Bruno Manga. Aron Gunnarsson came back Wednesday, but had a light session on his own before joining the main group. It’s a bit disjoined, but they are back. We will have a 20-man squad for the Huddersfield game which is nice and strong.
"It’s like a re-start game for us again. You want to get off to a good start again after the small break. Huddersfield is a very important game for us. I put it right up there as a big, big game for us. We need to get going again. It’s good to be back together again and regain our focus. We’ve only played two games at home and I want our home form to be strong. We need another resolute performance. We look hard to break down and potentially there are goals in us to go and win a football match."
Chris Powell
"We`ve created quite a bit this season and got into the penalty box a lot more than every team we`ve played, but we haven`t been clinical enough; whether that`s the end product, a cross, a pass or a decision."
"Our approach play has been good, but that has been our downfall. You need to score goals to win games. Defensively, we know we conceded too many last year. That continued in pre-season and that has been our mantra. In the season we`ve been better, but we still need a clean sheet.
"We`re demanding more from the players. We`ve had five games and now we need to put it all together. We have done in fits and starts in every game we`ve played, but now it is time to do it over a longer period and get three points. You need wins to push up the table."
The officials:
Referee: PAUL TIERNEY
Assistants: Timothy Wood and Mark Russell
Fourth Official: Ronald Ganfield
MATCH FACTS
- Cardiff have won their last three home meetings with Huddersfield, scoring eight goals.
- Huddersfield have kept one clean sheet in their last 12 away league games at Cardiff (W2 D3 L7).
- Joe Mason has bagged three goals in four appearances against Huddersfield, though none have been for Cardiff.
- Kenwyne Jones bagged a brace in this fixture last season, as Cardiff ran out 3-1 winners.
- The Terriers have scored just six goals across their last 10 away games.
- The Bluebirds are unbeaten in four at the Cardiff City Stadium, winning two (D2).