Cardiff v Wolves. match preview

Last updated : 30 November 2018 By Michael Morris

Friday night football at CCS as Cardiff City entertain Wolverhampton Wanderers, ko 8pm.

Early team news

Josh Murphy is expected to return to the Cardiff starting line-up. The winger dropped to the bench for the 1-0 defeat at Everton last weekend but has been a key figure for Cardiff in recent home matches.

Warnock has some late decisions to make as he has "two or three niggles" in camp and Kenneth Zohore is still struggling with a calf injury.

Wolves have no new injury concerns, with Jonny Otto their only enforced absentee.

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Opta stats

  • This is the first top-flight meeting between Cardiff City and Wolves since February 1962, a 3-2 win for Wolves at Ninian Park.
  • None of the last eight league meetings between Cardiff and Wolves in Cardiff have ended as draws - both sides have won four games apiece in that time.
  • Cardiff and Wolves met on Friday at the Cardiff City Stadium in the Championship last season - a 1-0 win for Wolves in April, with the Bluebirds missing two 90th minute penalties.
  • Wolves have won all four of their league matches played on Friday under manager Nuno Espirito Santo - all four were in the Championship last season.
  • After two consecutive 0-0 draws in August, Cardiff have neither drawn or kept a clean sheet in any of their last 10 Premier League games (W2 D0 L8).
  • The away team has not won any of the last 20 Premier League meetings between two promoted sides (D7 L13), since Leicester won 1-0 at Burnley in April 2015.
  • Cardiff have scored the first goal on a league-low one occasion in the Premier League this season, in a game they went on to lose anyway (1-4 vs Chelsea in September).



Officials:

Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistants: Stephen Child, Peter Kirkup
Fourth official: David Coote