MATCH THREAD “ CHELSEA v CARDIFF CITY “ MATCH THREAD

Nei Warnock on Cardiff City injuries


NEIL WARNOCK:

“I’m not aware of anything untoward."

“Murphy is training but whether he’ll be involved on Saturday, I’m not sure.
“He wants to be but with Mendez-Laing out for a long time we’ll have to be careful.”

It is good news for the Bluebirds on the injury front too with both Josh Murphy and Aron Gunnarsson back preparing with the first team squad.

“Josh Murphy is training but I'm not sure whether he’ll be involved. He wants to be but we have to be careful with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing out.

“We haven’t got to rush Aron back. He could be involved at the weekend if I wanted him to, but I’m not sure I want him to.

“We’ve got to build that knee up.”

Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas could be asked to train rather than sit on the bench for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Cardiff.

The playmaker is fit again following a knee injury, but may not be considered by boss Maurizio Sarri just yet.

England midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a doubt with a shin injury, although he has featured sparingly for Chelsea this season, while Emerson Palmieri and Davide Zappacosta (both illness) are doubts.
Provisional squad: Kepa, Caballero, Rudiger, Alonso, Fabregas, Jorginho, Drinkwater, Kante, Barkley, Hazard, Pedro, Moses, Kovacic, Giroud, Zappacosta, Willian, Cahill, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Morata, Luiz, Emerson Palmieri, Ampadu, Loftus-Cheek, Hudson-Odoi.

Josh Murphy will be assessed before Cardiff’s side is named.

Murphy, the £11million summer recruit from Norwich, has been troubled by a slight hamstring over the last fortnight, and faces a late fitness test with manager Neil Warnock again expected to link Bobby Reid and Danny Ward in attack.

Aron Gunnarsson is still nursing a knee problem after missing international duty with Iceland and is unlikely to be risked.

Provisional squad: Etheridge, Smithies, Peltier, Richards, Cunningham, Morrison, Bamba, Connolly, Manga, Bennett, Arter, Damour, Ralls, Camarasa, Paterson, Hoilett, Murphy, Reid, Zohore, Ward, Madine.

What do Chelsea think of Cardiff?

"Like several Neil Warnock sides in the past, you have to be impressed by the hard-working nature of the team and they play with a good structure.

"That will certainly make it tough for Chelsea to break down and the longer the game goes on without a goal the more frustrated that the Blues will become and the fans will also start to lose patience.

I have to be honest, I have Cardiff to get relegated this season, only as I think they might struggle to score the amount of goals needed to keep themselves up.

However, there are still weaknesses in Chelsea’s defence and if Cardiff can stay solid with the Blues having more possession, there is still something that they can get out of the game."

Cardiff City: Etheridge; Manga, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett; Camarasa, Arter, Ralls, Hoilett; Reid, Ward

Subs: Murphy, Peltier, Richard, Zohore, Paterson, Cunningham, Madine

Very interesting. Looks like Warnock is going for 4-4-2 or 4-4-1. Very bold move against Chelsea, and will cost a very high workrate from us. This could get ugly, or we could spring a surprise

100% of Chelsea's starting 11 are foreigners. Not even 1 is from the home countries. How can Chelsea be called an English team or represent England in Europe? Feels not right to me.

Very interesting. Looks like Warnock is going for 4-4-2 or 4-4-1. Very bold move against Chelsea, and will cost a very high workrate from us. This could get ugly, or we could spring a surprise

4-4-1? I hope not? Although with VAR being used today its bound to favour the big teams as per usual and see us get a red. Haha

Get in!

Get in!

Total silence here except for 2 of us!

everybodys in shock get in there.

Very interesting. Looks like Warnock is going for 4-4-2 or 4-4-1. Very bold move against Chelsea, and will cost a very high workrate from us. This could get ugly, or we could spring a surprise

4-4-1? I hope not? Although with VAR being used today its bound to favour the big teams as per usual and see us get a red. Haha

Var not being used in the match it's just the technology being tested to cope with multiple matches at the same time

BBC said ward had an injury any updates???

Bamba having a good game along with Etheridge today.

BBC said ward had an injury any updates???

Chelsea player wrapped hand around his face no foul?
Whatever the result it shows city can compete in premiership and we are not certain for relegation

Ouch. 1-1 Hazard

BBC said ward had an injury any updates???

Chelsea player wrapped hand around his face no foul?
Whatever the result it shows city can compete in premiership and we are not certain for relegation

Exactly what I just said to my father in law.

Bennett at fault with poor tackle

Ffs..,

Anyone know what Murphy's injury is?

Anyone know what Murphy's injury is?

Hamstring

BBC said ward had an injury any updates???

Chelsea player wrapped hand around his face no foul?
Whatever the result it shows city can compete in premiership and we are not certain for relegation

We are only s couple of signings away imo.

Anyone know what Murphy's injury is?

Get lucky for the 2nd goal but 1st goal an error defending

Hazard and giroud are tearing us apart, besides them I feel we have done really well we weren't expecting nothing from this game and at half time were still in it, so let's hope Chelsea take their foot of the gas and get complacent and we nick something

Pedro also missed a couple of sitters..If we can shock them getting another goal we have a chance. Right now they are in complete control of the game. But god work from the lads so far.

We see a defensive error, the rest of the footballing world see a brilliant Hazard.

We see a defensive error, the rest of the footballing world see a brilliant Hazard.

Haha Good point!

Trouble I see is that we always commit to trying to make a tackle, some times just hold them up, force them wide. You don't always have to try and tackle.

They just passing it around and moving into the gap made by players flying in to tackle

But again glad we scored and had some other chances, we need to find more balance of being all out defence and some attacking and agree couple more players we be much more competitive.

Richards for Arter where the hell is he gonna play

Richards for Arter where the hell is he gonna play

Right wing and Camarasa back into midfield?

We see a defensive error, the rest of the fo otballing world see a brilliant Hazard.

Haha Good point![/quote

Good finish but then expect him not to miss! It came from poor choice of defending