Cardiff City assessed: Injury blow, summer signings and manager comments ahead of Sunderland clash

Sunderland begin their new Championship campaign with an away trip to Cardiff City on Saturday lunchtime.

The Black Cats will make their competitive bow under new manager Regis Le Bris against a side who finished six points and four places above them in the table last season, but will be hoping to put a disappointing slump in form firmly behind them with three points on the 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.

But how are Cardiff shaping up ahead of the Black Cats’ visit? We’ve taken a closer look at the Bluebirds’ team news, form, and summer transfer business so far, below...

Cardiff City Team News

Cardiff have been hit by a triple injury blow in recent days, and could be without a number of players heading into Saturday’s clash. The Bluebirds confirmed over the weekend that strikers Isaak Davies and Kion Etete, as well as left-back Jamilu Collins, are all set for lengthy stints on the treatment table. According to manager Erol Bulut, “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.”

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

The Bluebirds have looked fairly impressive in pre-season, with just one defeat to their name from eight matches. That loss came against non-league Kidderminster Harriers last month, but since then, Bulut’s side have recorded victories over the likes of Hamburger SV, Belgian outfit Kortrijk FC, Bristol Rovers, and Reading, as well as draws with Hertha Berlin and Mamelodi Sundowns.

Cardiff City Manager Comments

Bulut took over in the Welsh capital last July, guiding the Bluebirds to a 12th-placed finish during his first season in England. Ahead of the new campaign, the 49-year-old has been buoyant in his assessment of his side’s progress of late. Speaking after the win over Bristol Rovers, he said: “We’ve had a great six weeks with the team. The level of games that we played, good results, and we also played well, which is really positive.

“I’m happy, also, with the youngsters we took with us. They did a great job, so the future looks good. But still, we cannot stop the work. We have to work a lot, because pre-season is something else, friendly games are something else. Next week the league is starting – for this we have to be 100% ready.”

Looking ahead to Saturday’s meeting with Sunderland, he said: “We play at home in front of our fans. “I’m hoping the stadium will be full to support us, because we need them. This is the 12th power for us, and I hope we can deliver good football and start with three points.”