Cardiff City

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Cardiff City are not expected to get permission to play loanee attacker Omari Kellyman against his parent club Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.

The Welsh club made a tentative verbal request but have not had written permission from Chelsea, as they prepare to host the Blues in the quarter-finals next month.

The two clubs continue to have a positive working relationship and there is an understanding that it is not standard for loanees in British football to be able to face their parent clubs.

However, clubs could grant players special dispensation via written permission to play in such circumstances, which happened for Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori in 2018 when they were allowed to play for Derby County against Chelsea.

Yet the Blues also denied a similar request from Crystal Palace to allow Conor Gallagher to play against them in 2022.

Kellyman missed almost the whole of last season, barring four academy matches, through a series of hamstring injuries after his £19m move from Aston Villa.

After corrective hamstring surgery in March, Kellyman has stayed fit but has been carefully managed in Wales as he begins to reach full fitness.

All parties are pleased with Kellyman's progress at Cardiff thus far.

After a series of substitute appearances, he started against Exeter City but came off after 36 minutes, sparking fears he had picked up another injury.

However, with five substitutions available across English football, this was part of the plan to gradually build his minutes.

Kellyman's last 76-minute outing against Blackpool was his longest appearance to date, and his first goal came against Reading last month.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy says he wants to be as "transparent and clear as possible" with the club's fans about the weakened team they will have to select for Tuesday's EFL Trophy match against Arsenal Under-21s.

The Bluebirds will be without a huge number of first-team and youth players – more than a matchday squad's worth – due to international call-ups for the game at Cardiff City Stadium (19:45 GMT).

The same thing happened when Cardiff lost 1-0 at home to Newport County in the competition last month.

Barry-Murphy made 10 changes, bringing in a mix of fringe and young players, including 16-year-old Rob Tankiewicz, who became the club's youngest player of all time, only for that record to be broken by 15-year-old substitute Axel Donczew in the second half.

All four teams in the group – Cardiff, Arsenal Under-21s, Newport and Exeter City – have a chance of progressing to the next round having each taken three points from their first two games.

"I think it's something that is different for our club based on how many players we have in every single age group [getting international call-ups]," said Barry-Murphy.

"There's no other club on these isles in the same situation because Swansea don't play in it [because they are in the Championship] and Wrexham the same, though I presume when Wrexham were in this competition last season they wouldn't have had the international commitments we have.

"So we've pushed the players every day but we just have to be mindful of the fact that we can't ask them to play on Saturday and then play again on Tuesday, based on how few players we have available for that game on Tuesday.

"We had a big following for that game against Newport, so I just think it's important that we're as transparent and clear with our supporters as possible to make it obvious what team we'll have available for that game."

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Cardiff City enjoyed a fine start to the season but the team has started to stutter in recent weeks - with Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Blackpool the latest reverse.

We asked Cardiff fans how concerned they are with the Bluebirds' defensive frailties.

Jon: I think that BBM [manager Brian Barry-Murphy] has done okay so far but the worrying lack of penetration at the front and the increasingly poor defending is also a worry. I believe that we have a very talented group of youngsters but playing them will result in inconsistency, which has been paramount recently. We need to steady the ship over the next six weeks and bring in some proven experience in January.

Andrew: Not that concerned. Think we need to sign Ricardo Rees from Merthyr Town in January. What a goal-scorer. Unbelievable.

Simon: Very concerning and especially with the lack of goals up the other end too. Need to play two up front and that would take the pressure off the back so we can score a few more goals. The small and young team was also going to be difficult this season with injuries, suspensions, etc kicking in. However, it's been the same for a few seasons now, so needs to be sorted out. We can't just keep on giving away sloppy goals.

Andrew: [Calum] Chambers not up to it anymore, [Gabriel] Osho out of form and yet to settle but will hopefully come good, leaving only [Dylan] Lawlor and [Will] Fish both of whom are not fully fit. Also not sure [Alex] Robertson provides help as well as [Ryan] Wintle. Need another central defender in January.

Have your say here

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Cardiff City boss Brian Barry-Murphy described his side's 3-1 defeat at Blackpool as a "very disappointing result".

The Bluebirds could not capitalise on a number of first half chances and Ashley Fletcher's two goals and a third from Tom Bloxham put paid to their hopes before Yusuf Salech's late consolation.

Barry-Murphy was pleased with the first half and the chances that his side created but acknowledged that the defending was not good enough in the second half.

"We created a lot of chances throughout the course of the game," Barry-Murphy said.

"The way that we play and the way we attack is not an excuse for us to defend the moments we had to defend in the manner we did.

"We've got to be as disciplined a team in defence as we are in attack and today we weren't.

"Today wasn't good enough – we have to swallow that today, accept it, feel the pain of it and come back stronger and be better."

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Promotion-chasing Cardiff City travel to League One strugglers Blackpool on Saturday (15:00 GMT) looking to get back to winning ways after a late loss at Bolton Wanderers in their last league outing.

And Bluebirds boss Brian Barry-Murphy says the intensity in training this week has been "through the roof" as the players respond to last weekend's defeat in the FA Cup by Peterborough United.

"Every time we've had a perceived setback, in the dressing room the response has been incredible," Barry-Murphy said.

"Training this week has been exceptionally good."

Barry-Murphy acknowledges the need for greater consistency, with an impressive Carabao Cup win over Wrexham sandwiched between those narrow 1-0 defeats.

"We're looking to really find the consistency in performances and make ourselves the best version that we can be on a more regular basis," he said.

"If we can strive to achieve that, then we're very confident that we can produce a performance that will give us a great chance to win on Saturday."

Although Saturday's hosts Blackpool are second from bottom in League One, new manager Ian Evatt has led them to back-to-back wins since being appointed.

Cardiff, meanwhile, go into the trip to Bloomfield Road third in the table, two points behind leaders Stockport County but with a game in hand.

"The talent in our team is obvious. I think the team and squad have been so dedicated and impressive in everything that we've demanded of them," Barry-Murphy added.

"I do consider myself truly privileged to be in a club with a group of players who are so honest in the way they attack every single week.

"If we can remain consistent in the way that we train and then play, I think it makes it a very, very good place to be."

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Will Fish is highly unlikely to feature in Cardiff City's League one game at Blackpool on Saturday (15:00 GMT) after aggravating the knee problem he has been managing since the EFL Trophy loss to Newport in early October.

The 22-year old defender has played in every game since - scoring the winner in the EFL Cup triumph at Wrexham - but left the field shortly before the end of last Saturday's FA Cup defeat at Peterborough.

"We have not seen Will Fish this week in terms of training, so he's an extreme doubt," said manager Brian Barry-Murphy at Thursday's pre-match media conference.

"Even today I don't think he'll train, he may train tomorrow but in all likelihood that would mean he is probably very, very doubtful for Saturday."

Fish has become a main-stay in the Cardiff defence this year which shares the EFL record for most clean sheets with six.

Alongside Fish's absence, the Bluebirds will still be without defender Perry Ng and forward Chris Willock who Barry-Murphy hopes to have back after the international break.

"We've trained really well, training has been really good this week and the rest of the squad is in very good health," the former Manchester City and Leicester coach added.

"The international break after the weekend comes at a good time for us in terms of trying to get Will fit and Chris Willock and Perry Ng.

"By the time we come back, fingers crossed you never know what happens in International football, our squad should be in a really good place."

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Luke Williams has praised Cardiff City as "an absolutely brilliant team" after knocking them out of the FA Cup in his first game back in football management.

The former Swansea City boss won his opening match in charge of Peterborough United with a 1-0 first round win over the Bluebirds at London Road.

Williams claimed Posh needed to show "warrior spirit" to beat a Cardiff side 21 places above them in the League One table, but lavished praised on City and boss Brian Barry-Murphy.

"Cardiff are an absolutely brilliant team. They have a really good group of players and a top manager," said Williams, who took over from Darren Ferguson last week with Posh five points from safety at the bottom of League One.

"I was delighted with the warrior spirit we showed to beat Cardiff. We put bodies on the line, and the energy was excellent against a top, top opposition."

The victory over Cardiff was Williams' first game back in a dugout since being sacked by Swansea in February after a poor run of one win in 10 games.

Asked whether beating the Bluebirds felt sweeter because of his Swansea connections, Williams said: "I've had a couple of messages from people from Swansea that I'm very fond of.

"[Cardiff] are a brilliant team. I love the way they play, the manager is superb. But of course Swansea is in my heart."

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Defender Perry Ng admits he was concerned about Cardiff City's future this summer after relegation from the Championship but is now happier than ever at the club.

After dropping out of English football's top two tiers for the first time in 23 years, the Bluebirds have thrived under new boss Brian Barry-Murphy and now find themselves third in League One and awaiting Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

But prior to Barry-Murphy's appointment as head coach, Ng was unsure how things would turn out.

"I was worried in the summer," he said.

"This club has been through so many ups and downs and last year was horrible, a disaster.

"I took a few weeks to reflect and then I realised this is maybe what the club needed. It is a bit of a reset."

After finishing last season with Aaron Ramsey at the helm in a caretaker role, Cardiff did not appoint Barry-Murphy until mid-June.

Ng says he wondered if the club were in danger of "making a mistake again" as the wait for a new boss dragged on.

But he added: "I had one session with Brian before I got injured and I knew from that day he was going to be a top, top gaffer.

"I just hope it can continue and we can keep hold of him. I feel I'm on the same wavelength as him when we speak about football.

"The style of play he wants us to play, how he implements that every day and his standards on and off the pitch are just crazy.

"We needed someone who could control and change quite a lot of things at the club and I think he has got it spot on so far."

Ng has twice been Cardiff's player of the season since joining the club in January 2021.

But, thanks in part to injury, he has started only four of their 13 league games so far in this campaign.

"It has been tough at times," he added.

"People might be thinking that because I'm not playing as much now that I am disappointed, but this is the happiest I've been at Cardiff.

"I can see a real project with Brian and the younger lads. It is probably the most talented squad we've had here."

Image source, FAW

Former Wales striker Iwan Roberts believes Cardiff City's Rubin Colwill is a better number 10 option for Craig Bellamy than Swansea City's Liam Cullen.

Colwill is enjoying a fine run of form at Cardiff, where he has scored four goals in 17 appearances so far this season.

But the 23-year-old, who was a late call-up to the national squad in this month's international window, is still to convince Wales boss Bellamy that he should be part of his team.

Swansea's Cullen, who has spent most of his career as a striker, has been used in a deeper role by Bellamy.

Roberts argues Colwill is better suited to that position than his Swansea counterpart, and that he should be utilised more by Wales.

"If you are going to go with two numbers 10s against maybe the smaller nations, when the onus is on us to go and attack, I think he is a better player in that position than Liam Cullen," Roberts told this week's Feast of Football podcast.

"I think Liam Cullen is a more of a centre-forward. I don't think he has got the technical ability Rubin has got.

Image source, FAW

"I think he's got better ability, he's better on the ball. He can pick a pass, he can open a defence. I think Liam Cullen ideally, if I look at the way Swansea play, I think he'd be better close to Zan Viptonik as a second centre-forward."

Roberts says Colwill is performing "on a weekly basis" at Cardiff because Bluebirds boss Brian Barry-Murphy has focused on the academy product's strengths rather than his weaknesses.

Cullen, meanwhile, has faced a battle for game-time at Swansea thanks to the fine form of Slovenia forward Vipotnik and the £6m signing of Adam Idah.

However, another ex-Wales international, Sam Vokes, says Cullen is worthy of his place.

"I think that's one of our strongest positions," Vokes said on Feast of Football.

"I like Liam Cullen. He had a much stronger season last season in terms of numbers and output wise. I like him in that position.

"Right now I don't think he (Colwill) breaks into our starting line-up, but he can be used as a good back-up or someone to bring in if we are struggling to unlock a side."

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Chis Willock will not be fit to return for Cardiff City until after the November international break.

The 27-year-old winger has been absent from Cardiff's past two matches with a thigh injury.

He is now set to miss Saturday's FA Cup tie to Peterborough, a league trip to Blackpool on 8 November and the EFL Trophy game against Arsenal Under-21s.

But Cardiff head coach Brian Barry-Murphy is relieved Willock is not facing a longer lay-off.

"It's pretty positive news," he said.

"We're looking at after the international break for Chris."

Meanwhile, Cardiff striker Callum Robinson is a doubt for the first-round tie against fellow League One side Peterborough.

"Callum rocked his ankle in training on Monday and wasn't fit on Tuesday morning," said Barry-Murphy.

"He'll be assessed but at this point he's a doubt for Saturday. We have a few doubts for this game based on the week we've had."