Cardiff City will be without Dylan Lawlor for around five to six weeks after the defender suffered a hamstring injury. Brian Barry-Murphy has also explained why Callum Robinson missed the draw at Middlesbrough, with the striker now back in training and available for selection.
Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy has provided updates on several members of his squad ahead of Saturday's Championship meeting with Birmingham City at Cardiff City Stadium.
The main injury concern is defender Dylan Lawlor, who has been ruled out of Wales' final two Nations League matches after suffering a hamstring injury against Watford earlier this month.
There is also news on Callum Robinson, who was left out of the squad for the 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough for reasons unrelated to injury.
Lawlor facing five to six weeks out
Lawlor suffered the hamstring problem during Cardiff's 5-1 victory over Watford on 13 October, just three days after making his first start of the season against Blackburn Rovers.
The 20-year-old had only recently returned from a knee injury which had disrupted the start of his campaign. He is now expected to be unavailable until after the November international break.
Barry-Murphy admitted he was disappointed to lose the defender again but believes the enforced absence will give the club an opportunity to ensure his recovery is handled properly.
“It's naturally very disappointing,” he said.
“He's put so much work into coming back from his knee injury that he suffered so long ago.
“But this gives him a chance to do his rehabilitation properly with no rush and make sure that when he comes back, he's good to go again.”
The Cardiff boss was also asked whether he regretted bringing Lawlor back into the side for the matches against Blackburn and Watford following his lengthy absence.
He admitted there was “a little bit” of regret, but explained that the decision had been influenced by the defender's performance and the options available to the club.
“Hindsight is an easy thing but he did a really good job against Blackburn,” Barry-Murphy added.
“We wanted to give him some consistency and we needed him really so we were limited in what options we had.
“It is what it is now we have to just move forward.”
The manager also revealed that Lawlor's knee had not been completely pain-free since he suffered the original problem while playing for Wales against Ghana in June.
“I think the positive is that his knee hasn't been pain free since the Ghana game for Wales,” he explained.
“So even though when he came back against Blackburn he still had some pain in it and in the game against Watford where he got injured he wasn't totally pain-free or comfortable.
“So this five or six week period, however long it is, gives us a chance to really protect his knee, strengthen it and make sure that when he does come back from this and his hamstring injury that he now has, he's in a very positive position to be fit for the remainder of the season.”
Lawlor will miss Wales' games against Norway on 14 November and Portugal on 17 November. The hope for Cardiff is that the additional rehabilitation time will allow him to return in better condition for the remainder of the campaign.
Robinson available after missing Middlesbrough trip
Barry-Murphy has also clarified why Callum Robinson was absent from the travelling squad for last weekend's 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough.
Robinson had scored in Cardiff's 5-1 win over Watford on 13 October but was subsequently left out of the squad for the trip to the Riverside Stadium.
The manager confirmed that the 31-year-old was not injured and had missed out because he had failed to meet certain internal standards required for selection.
“We have certain standards that all the players have to adhere to before they are considered for selection,” Barry-Murphy said.
“Callum missed out on some of those before last Saturday so he wasn't available.
“But he is back with us this week.”
The head coach was keen to stress that the details would remain private, explaining that the standards were part of the way the squad operates behind the scenes.
“The standards that we expect for the dressing room are internal,” he said.
“We're always judged in public so that's fine, but for the dressing room and how we work day by day it's private for us.”
Asked to provide further details about what had happened, Barry-Murphy refused to speculate publicly on the matter.
“I think it'd be wrong to presume,” he added.
“The supporters want to see certain qualities in their team week to week.
“And we have to make sure that they remain the case day to day and then they have to be private. They have to be ours, for ourselves.”
Robinson has returned to training and is available for selection against Birmingham City.
“Callum is a great player,” Barry-Murphy said.
“He's been a great player for us and a great person so there's no problem whatsoever.
“I'm very pleased to have him back in training this week.”
The forward was Cardiff's leading scorer in the 2024-25 season with 12 goals, although his opportunities have been more limited since Barry-Murphy took charge.
His return gives the manager another attacking option as Cardiff prepare for Saturday's fixture.
Cardiff's squad picture
Lawlor's absence is a setback for Cardiff, particularly given the work he has put into returning from his previous knee injury. The club will now have to ensure his rehabilitation is not rushed, with the aim of having him fit for the remainder of the season.
Robinson's situation appears more straightforward from a selection perspective. The manager has confirmed that the striker is back in training and available, although his place in the starting XI will depend on the selection decision ahead of Birmingham.
Cardiff will hope to have as many options as possible available as they look to continue their Championship campaign at home on Saturday.
Cardiff City v Birmingham City
Saturday | 3.00pm | Cardiff City Stadium
