Cardiff v Norwich. Match preview

Last updated : 01 February 2014 By Michael Morris

Cardiff v Norwich kicks off a massive month for The Bluebirds. Leaving the FA Cup against Wigan to one side Cardiff have four Premier League fixtures against sides in the bottom half of the table.

I think this is our make or break month. I feel City need to pick up at least seven points this month to keep themselves with a chance of survival.

At the moment Cardiff are bottom of the table 3 points from 17th place. Today is quite simply a must win game. Hopefully the new signings will hit the ground running and help City find some goals.

 

Early team news

Norwich midfielder Bradley Johnson is free to play against Cardiff after his red card in the midweek goalless draw with Newcastle was rescinded on appeal to the Football Association.

On-loan midfielder Jonas Gutierrez is available having been ineligible to face his parent club on Tuesday night. Defender Joseph Yobo has signed until the end of the season from Turkish club Fenerbahce, but the move remains subject to international clearance and paperwork.

Centre-back Michael Turner (hamstring) and midfielder Jonny Howson (back) are still sidelined, while winger Elliott Bennett also continues his rehabilitation following a serious knee injury.

Cardiff boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could hand debuts to Kenwyne Jones, Fabio and Wilfried Zaha.

The trio all completed moves to the Welsh club this week as the Bluebirds look to try and move off the bottom of the Premier League table.

Club captain Mark Hudson is ruled out by a hamstring problem, but Jordon Mutch and Kevin Theophile-Catherine look set to be fit enough to play some part.

 

Match Appointments

Referee: Mark Clattenburg. Assistants: S Beck, S Child. Fourth Official: S Attwell.

 

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

  • Norwich had 31 attempts on goal - including blocked shots - in the reverse fixture with Cardiff, which ended 0-0.
  • The Bluebirds have only lost two of the last 10 league meetings with Norwich (W5, D3, L2).
  • Cardiff have won exactly half of their home league clashes against the Canaries (W11, L8, D3).

Cardiff

  • Cardiff are without a win in their last nine Premier League away games (D2, L7), and have lost their last four games on the bounce.
  • The Bluebirds have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last seven Premier League games.
  • Cardiff's only point from those seven matches came courtesy of a 2-2 home draw with Sunderland.

Norwich

  • Only Cardiff (17) and Crystal Palace (15) have scored fewer league goals this season than Norwich (18).
  • The Canaries have only scored more than two goals on three occasions in the Premier League this season; Cardiff have managed it on five occasions.
  • John Ruddy has conceded 35 goals this season; only Cardiff keeper David Marshall has let in more.
  • Ricky van Wolfswinkel is now without a goal in 15 games in all competitions for Norwich.

 

Teams

Cardiff (from): Marshall, Taylor, Caulker, Turner, Whittingham, Medel, Campbell, Kim, Smith, Eikrem, Noone, Gunnarsson, Mutch, Cowie, McNaughton, Theophile-Catherine, Daehli, Lewis, Bellamy, John, Fabio, Zaha, Jones, Berget.

Norwich (from): Ruddy, Olsson, Bassong, R Bennett, Martin, Fer, Johnson, Pilkington, Redmond, Snodgrass, Van Wolfswinkel, Bunn, Garrido, Whittaker, Becchio, Elmander, Tettey, Hooper, Josh Murphy.