Cardiff v Leicester

Last updated : 11 May 2010 By BBC Sport

Cardiff winger Chris Burke (groin) is a doubt for the Championship play-off semi-final, while Anthony Gerrard will definitely miss out with a calf injury. Gerrard's absence means Mark Hudson and Darcy Blake will again start in the centre of the Bluebirds' defence.

Leicester defender Wayne Brown and on-loan striker James Vaughan, who missed the first leg because of hamstring problems, are hoping to be passed fit.

Striker Steve Howard is available again after serving a suspension.

MATCH PREVIEW

Leicester are hoping to become only the second club to overhaul a first-leg deficit in the play-off semi-finals and go on to gain promotion to the Premier League - a feat achieved by Bolton in 1995.

The Foxes have reached the final in all four of their previous play-off campaigns, but it is Cardiff who look well-placed for a trip to Wembley after winning 1-0 at the Walkers Stadium on Sunday.

Nigel Pearson's side face a tough task. They lost at Cardiff in both the league and FA Cup this season, and the Welsh club are unbeaten in seven home matches. They also boast the Championship's top scorer in Peter Whittingham, whose winner on Sunday was his 24th goal of the campaign.

And Cardiff, last in the top flight in 1962, have not been prone to squandering leads. They lost only one league game during the regular season after going ahead, while Leicester came from behind to win only twice.

History is also on the Bluebirds' side. In three of the last four years, a team has gone on to secure a Premier League place after winning away in the first leg of the play-off semi-finals: Watford in 2006, Derby in 2007 and Hull 2008.

More recently, both these sides have been in impressive form. Cardiff have won eight of their last 12 games, losing just one, and their win at Leicester was the Midlands club's first defeat in six matches.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Cardiff have won 21 and Leicester 20 of the 51 previous meetings between these clubs.

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• This is their fifth meeting this season. Cardiff have won three of the four so far, with Peter Whittingham scoring in all three victories.

Cardiff

• Cardiff have won four, lost three and drawn one of the club's eight previous play-off matches.

• They are hoping to become the first club since Charlton in 1998 to win promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs after finishing the regular season in fourth place.

• Between them, Peter Whittingham and Michael Chopra have scored 43 of Cardiff's 87 goals this season.

Leicester

• With 61 goals during the regular season, Leicester are the lowest scorers of the four sides in the Championship play-offs.

• The Foxes have won their last two away matches.

• Leicester have won six, drawn four and lost three of the club's 13 previous matches in the play-offs.

• They are hoping to follow in the footsteps of Burnley, who last season became the sixth club to finish fifth in the table and go on to reach the Premier League via the play-offs.

MOST RECENT MEETING

Leicester 0-1 Cardiff (12 May 2010)

Cardiff scorer: Whittingham 78.

Source: BBC Sport

Source: BBC Sport