Championship | Saturday 10 October 2026 | Kick-off: 3.00pm
Venue: Ewood Park, Blackburn
Cardiff City return to Championship action on Saturday with a trip to Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, as the Bluebirds look to make a positive start following the international break.
The break has given the squad an opportunity to recover and get some injured players closer to a return, although Cardiff will still be without Rubin Colwill, while there are fitness concerns over several other members of the squad.
Manager Brian Barry-Murphy has provided an update on the squad ahead of the trip, with Yousef Salech, Alex Robertson and Isaak Davies among those being monitored as Cardiff prepare for a busy spell of fixtures.
Team news
Yousef Salech suffered a shoulder injury during the incident against Charlton Athletic and remains a doubt for Saturday's game. The striker has returned to the pitch but has yet to resume training with the group.
Barry-Murphy said: “Yousef [Salech] damaged his shoulder in that incident [against Charlton Athletic]. He was back on the pitch on Tuesday, and we just have to check on him. He hasn't trained with the group yet, so we'll make a decision for Saturday after that.”
There is better news regarding defenders Dylan Lawlor and Will Fish, who have both benefited from the break and are available for selection.
“Dylan Lawlor and Will Fish are all good. The break has benefitted them, they've trained all the time and they are good to go,” the manager confirmed.
Calum Chambers remains some way from a return, with the defender due to see a specialist to assess his injury.
“Calum [Chambers] is not back in training. He's seeing a specialist today and then we'll know more about his injury, but he's not close.”
Alex Robertson is another player Cardiff will be keeping a close eye on. The midfielder missed the trip to Australia because of problems with his shins and a tight Achilles, but there is hope he could be available against Blackburn.
“Alex [Robertson] had some issues with his shins and a tight Achilles, so he wasn't fit to travel [to Australia]. We don't think he'll train today, but hopefully he'll be able to train tomorrow and be fit for Saturday.”
There is also encouraging news on Isaak Davies, who is returning to full training after working hard during the international break.
“Isaak [Davies] is back in full training today, and has done a lot of work during the international break.”
However, Rubin Colwill will miss the Blackburn game despite making progress in his recovery. The hope is that he can rejoin full training next week.
“Rubin [Colwill] won't be fit for Saturday. This is the first week that he's starting to make really good progress, so we're hopeful he'll join in full training next week and be back sooner rather than later.”
Ronan Kpakio and Rob Tankiewicz are also returning to the group, with the manager due to see both players for the first time since their respective absences.
“Ronan Kpakio is the last one back, so we'll see him for the first time today – Rob Tankiewicz is the same.”
A chance to build momentum
Cardiff will be hoping the time away from competitive action has helped the squad recover and prepare for the challenge at Ewood Park. The availability of Lawlor and Fish is a boost, while the potential return of Robertson would offer another option in midfield.
Much will depend on the final fitness checks before kick-off, particularly regarding Salech and Robertson. With Colwill and Chambers unavailable, Cardiff will need to manage their resources carefully as they look to come away from Lancashire with a positive result.
Cardiff go into the game after beating Charlton Athletic 3–1, their first league win of the season, while Blackburn drew 2–2 away at Portsmouth in their last match. Both sides have had inconsistent starts, so the fixture offers Cardiff an opportunity to build on that Charlton result.
Match officials
Referee: Tom Nield
Assistant referee: Shaun Hudson
Assistant referee: Aaron Hallam
Fourth official: Ollie Yates
Kick-off is at 3.00pm on Saturday, 10 October, at Ewood Park.
