Kenwyne Jones injury gives Cardiff City cause for concern

Jones has scored two goals in nine games for Cardiff this season

Cardiff City are waiting to discover the extent of the injury to Kenwyne Jones that forced the striker to miss Saturday's draw at Preston.

Jones, 31, suffered a shin injury while on international duty with Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday.

Cardiff manager Russell Slade said there was no break and Jones will be assessed once he returns to Wales.

"We're hoping he will be in on Sunday," said Slade. "We don't know how long he'll be out for."

This is the second time in the space of two months Jones has been unavailable for Cardiff following international duty.

He missed the opening four games of the season after being deemed unfit following his involvement in the Gold Cup, held in America and Canada in July.

The latest set-back came in his country's goalless draw with Nicaragua in Port of Spain when he was carried off on a stretcher after 73 minutes.

"It's not broken, that's the most important thing, but there is a lot of swelling there. It will be assessed the moment he lands," said Slade.

Jones' injury ends a miserable week for Slade that also saw him lose defender Bruno Ecuele Manga for at least two months to a groin injury sustained while training with Gabon.

"As with Bruno, it's difficult to get the information you require," added Slade of Jones' condition.

Lack of cutting edge

Cardiff missed the striker's presence on Saturday in a dour stalemate with Preston.

Slade admitted his side were poor as they registered two efforts on target against a team that started the afternoon on the bottom of the Championship table.

"I didn't think we got going until 50 or 60 minutes into the game and that can't happen," he said.

"Clearly it's not something we designed or wanted. We set out exactly what we wanted to do but we didn't do that.

"It can happen away from home sometimes, but it's dangerous because when you come up against top opposition, they will punish you in those periods.

"We haven't served up too many halves like that so benefit of the doubt.

"We came out for the second half and looked like a team again that wanted to go on and win a football match."

Slade's mood on Saturday evening would not have been helped when one of his discarded strikers, Javi Guerra, put Rayo Vallecano in front against Barcelona in La Liga at the Nou Camp.

Guerra, 33, moved to Rayo on a season-long loan in August after being told he was not in Slade's plans.