Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Thursday, April 27.
Rotherham set for heavy rain
In predictable fashion, the New York Stadium looks set to be on the receiving end of heavy downpours for the duration of tonight’s match. Between 7pm and 8pm when the players will be warming up, the Met Office predicts a 60 per cent chance of heavy rain, with this rising to 90 per cent at kick off and lasting for the remainder of the game.
All eyes will be on the state of the pitch and Rotherham’s groundsmen following last month’s abandonment, where questions were raised over their response to a torrential shower. The bad weather overwhelmed the stadium’s drainage system and resulted in a waterlogged end to proceedings on 47 minutes and, with the Bluebirds 1-0 up, videos circulating on social media led to some accusing the ground staff of being in little rush to get things going again.
With Rotherham also said to be training on the pitch in recent days, while their training ground is redeveloped, there could be room for further scrutiny should the weather affect the state of play of this relegation six-pointer.
Potential return of Millers’ key man as former Bluebirds hoping to be fit
Rotherham manager Matt Taylor has teased the return of midfielder Oliver Rathbone to the starting XI for tonight’s clash. Rathbone has scored four goals and registered one assist from midfield this year but has failed to complete a full 90 minutes since February, with a groin injury hampering his season.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference he said: "The big positive I suppose is Ollie Rathbone got through some game-time and hasn't reacted as badly as he has done previously. That is a big moment for what we feel for ourselves and Ollie in relation to the pain he's been in.”
Two former Bluebirds will also be looking to recover in time to strike a blow to their old side’s survival hopes. The first is Jordan Hugill who has been feeling under the weather, according to Taylor, and has also been playing with an underlying knee injury. The ex-Norwich man will be hoping to avoid any flare ups if he is to add to his five goal tally in 15 games so far for the Millers.
Lee Peltier is another hoping to overcome injury. The 36-year-old was withdrawn just before the hour mark during the defeat to Bristol City with the full-back one of a few aching bodies in the home side’s squad, according to the Rotherham gaffer. Peltier made more than 150 appearances in a five-year spell at Cardiff City Stadium and was a key member of Neil Warnock’s promotion-winning squad.
Jamilu Collins opens up on ‘torrid’ injury
The Nigerian international has been out of action since damaging his anterior cruciate ligament in a 0-0 draw at West Brom in August and opened up on his long road to recovery.
“I have never suffered any injury since I started playing football professionally and to go through a whole nine months without football was a torrid period for me,” the ex-Paderborn left-back said. “The ACL injury experience was terrible and when treatment started it was like I got a new knee.”
He showed early signs of promise as Steve Morison’s side made a steady start to the season with seven points from their opening four matches and despite only playing a handful of games, WhoScored still have the full-back as Cardiff's top performer this season with an average rating of 7.33, a figure which won’t have been harmed by a debut man-of-the-match performance against Norwich in the season’s opener.
Collins’ absence has no doubt been a big miss for each of this season’s managers with Bluebirds fans robbed of the chance to see the early glimpses of his and Callum O’Dowda’s understanding down the left side blossom into a fully threatening partnership. The patchwork solutions to replace him since have seen the likes of O’Dowda being drafted in to play a more defensive role, which has also harmed the team’s ability to create in the final third.
It is a cliche but Collins’ return in the summer will feel like a new signing.
Ebou Adams gives fans a glimpse of what to expect
The midfielder’s stunning volley for Darren Purse’s under-21s side against Barnsley on Tuesday certainly caught the eye of Bluebirds fans on social media, but it was his all-round performance which will give Sabri Lamouchi food for thought for next season.
The Gambian international grew into what started as a scrappy game with an assured midfield performance as he played a box-to-box role, often linking up with Isaak Davies, who was playing up top, and bringing those out wide into play, as well running the channels himself on occasion.
He looks like he could offer something slightly different to the likes of Ryan Wintle, Joe Ralls and Andy Rinomhota going into next season, with it seemingly unlikely that he’ll make his full Bluebirds debut before the current campaign’s end. Read more here.
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