Cardiff City boss Steve Morison has suggested he won't make wholesale changes to his starting XI for the final seven games of the Championship the season.
The Bluebirds head into the final stretch of the campaign more or less safe from relegation, and unable to reach the top six. Indeed, on paper at least, they have little to play for, particularly after their 4-0 drubbing at home to south Wales rivals Swansea City on Saturday. It's a situation that has caused some fans to call on Morison to experiment with his starting XI ahead of what is expected to be a summer of immense upheaval.
As many as 10 first-team stars could leave when their contracts run out at the end of the season, while five loanees will all return to their respective parent clubs. With little at stake in these final few games, some may feel this an ideal time to blood in the likes Oliver Denham, Jai Semenyo, and midfielder Eli King, alongside more established players such as Rubin Colwill, Isaak Davies, James Collins and Max Watters, all of whom could find themselves at the heart of Morison's plans next season. Goalkeeper George Ratcliffe is another that could well be assessed given the expected departure of Alex Smithies this summer.
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There's also talk around the shape of the team. Some onlookers staunchly believe Morison should go with a four at the back in a bid to accommodate some of his more attacking stars and lay down a foundation for next season, and that could also be a consideration for the Bluebirds boss.
We could well see changes in place for Saturday's clash at Reading, but Morison insists he won't throw caution to the wind unnecessarily as he bids to heal the wounds inflicted by the recent South Wales derby disaster. Asked if he might be tempted to experiment a little ahead of the new season, he said: "At the right time. We had a plan in place all along. Funnily enough we have a plan and an idea. Not that anyone seems to believe us!
"We knew what we were going to do going into the Swansea game. As long as everyone came through the international break okay, which they did. Then we had a plan going into Reading. We’ve got an idea what we want to do between now and the end of the season. We’ll do stuff at the right time.
"It’s definitely not a case of just trying stuff for the sake of trying stuff. There has to be a purpose to it and it’s part of where we want to evolve to over the off-season and into the new season.
"So don’t start expecting to see a load of academy players starting that haven’t been playing so far. We still have to do things at the right time. I have an email on my desk [from the EFL] that we have to remember the integrity of the game. That’s something we have to take into account as well. Reading and others are playing for a hell of a lot of stuff so we have to remember that."
Morison has no fresh injury concerns ahead of the trip to the Royals, with striker Watters seemingly closing in on a recovery from a recent ankle injury.
"Max [Watters] is back on the grass this week," he said. "He’ll be available after this weekend. Everyone else is fine apart from the long-terms.
