Cardiff City evaluation: summer additions, injury setback, and manager remarks prior to Sunderland match
Sunderland’s Championship opener takes place this weekend when they travel to Cardiff City. On Saturday lunchtime, Sunderland will kick off their new Championship campaign.
The Black Cats will play a team that finished six points and four spots above them in the previous season in their first competitive match under new manager Regis Le Bris. They will be looking to put a frustrating run of poor form behind them with three points on opening day.
To that end, Sunderland have looked increasingly bright in pre-season. A 2-2 draw against French giants Marseille at the weekend rounded out a run of fixtures that also included a sharing of the spoils with Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest, as well as wins over Blackpool, Eldense, and South Shields. Defeats at the hands of Gateshead and Bradford City came with heavily rotated starting XIs.
However, what is Cardiff looking like in advance of the Black Cats’ visit? Below, we’ve examined the Bluebirds’ team news, performance, and summer transfer situation in more detail.
News About Cardiff City’s Team
Due to a quadruple injury blow in recent days, Cardiff may be missing several players for this Saturday’s match. The Bluebirds announced over the weekend that Jamilu Collins, the left back, and attackers Isaak Davies and Kion Etete will all be spending a significant amount of time on the sidelines. “It looks like Isaak Davies will be out for four months, Kion will be out for three months, and with JC, six to eight weeks,” stated manager Erol Bulut.
Elsewhere, Callum Robinson, David Turnbull, and Mark McGuinness all missed out on Cardiff’s final pre-season friendly with League One side Bristol Rovers. Robinson and Turnbull were rested having played the full 90 minutes in a win over Reading days prior, while defender McGuinness was omitted as a precautionary measure due to a muscle complaint. New signing Anwar El Ghazi is understood to be back in the Netherlands to witness the birth of his child, and may take some time to work his way towards full match fitness.
Transfer Business
As mentioned, the Bluebirds completed a free transfer for former Aston Villa and Ajax winger Anwar El Ghazi last week, but could be without the 29-year-old on Saturday following a period of absence for personal reasons. The Dutchman is one of four new signings made by Cardiff so far this summer, with the Bluebirds also completing eye-catching deals for ex-Arsenal defender Callum Chambers, former QPR wide man Chris Willock, and Hertha Berlin striker Wilfried Kanga. The latter has joined on a season-long loan.
A swoop for Manchester City midfielder Alex Robertson also appears to be close, with WalesOnline reporting that the Australian international is set for a medical at the Cardiff City Stadium ahead of a proposed £3 million switch from the Premier League champions.
Pre-season Form
With just one loss in eight games during the preseason, the Bluebirds have looked very good. Following the defeat to non-league Kidderminster Harriers last month, Bulut’s team has won against teams like Hamburger SV, Kortrijk FC (Belgium), Bristol Rovers, Reading, and Hertha Berlin. They have also drawn with Mamelodi Sundowns and Hertha Berlin.
