Cardiff City v Blackburn Rovers. Match preview

Last updated : 17 August 2016 By Michael Morris

Cardiff are without a goal in their two League games so far this season but have a point courtesy of the draw at Birmingham while Blackburn have lost both their games conceding seven goals, but they have scored one.

City's goal drought extends to the League Cup as well whereas Blackburn made it to round two with a 3 - 1 win over Mansfield, so they have an idea where the back of the net is.

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Cardiff's latest signing Emyr Huws could make his first start for the club in the home game against Blackburn tonight, (CCS 7:45pm).

Huws made his first appearance off the bench in Sunday's 2-0 home defeat to QPR after signing from Wigan for an undisclosed fee last week.

Boss Paul Trollope has no major new injury concerns but may make changes as he chases his first win in charge of the Bluebirds.

Striker Kenneth Zohore plus midfield pair Craig Noone and Aron Gunnarsson are among those pushing for starting places, but midfielder Stuart O'Keefe (arm) is not expected to feature. 

Adam Henley is the latest Blackburn player to suffer an injury ahead of winless Rovers' trip to South Wales.

The full-back pulled his hamstring in the 3-0 loss to Wigan at the weekend, which was Blackburn's second defeat from two league games, and will not be back until September.

It is the second such issue boss Owen Coyle has had to face following the injury sustained by Elliott Bennett and he also remains without Northern Ireland international Corry Evans (groin).

Coyle may have centre-half Elliott Ward back, though, as he has done some training in his return from an ankle problem.

Paul Trollope : “It's up to us as a group, the players, the staff, myself to make sure there's a real positive mentality about the team and make sure we get on the front foot, the fans will follow that lead.

“We're all bitterly disappointed but football does give you a quick chance to bounce back, another home game, we know we'll have to be brave and positive, which will be the message to the players.”

Owen Coyle: “The key is to give ourselves an opportunity in the game,

"What we are doing is we are shooting ourselves in the foot and playing catch-up.

“So we have to give ourselves a chance to go and get a platform to build on and see where that takes you, because I’m convinced that with the players we have that can score goals, if we get that foothold in the game we can go and win.

“But it seems that every individual error we are making has been heavily punished and that can happen at the level that we play. So we have to eradicate those individual errors and give ourselves a platform to go and win some games."

 

Officials:

Referee: ANDY DAVIES 
Assistants: Adam Nunn and Andrew Quin 
Fourth Official: Simon Hooper