Cardiff City

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Erol Bulut says Cardiff City can boost their Championship play-off hopes with victory at Plymouth Argyle on Saturday despite issues with injury and illness.

Bulut suggested on Thursday that he will have only 15 senior players available for the trip to Home Park.

Joe Ralls has joined Aaron Ramsey and Callum O’Dowda on the sidelines, while Rubin Colwill and Callum Robinson are doubtful for this weekend.

Cardiff have lost loan signings Ike Ugbo and Jonathan Panzo this month – and are yet to bring any players in despite Bulut’s continued pleas for new faces.

Nevertheless, the Cardiff boss says his team will set out to claim only a second win in their last six matches in all competitions against a Plymouth side who took a point in the Welsh capital on 26 December.

“We played them a few weeks ago at home. We should win that game in my opinion,” Bulut said.

“I think even though our squad is now smaller and we don’t have many players, we should go to Plymouth to take the three points - only focusing on winning three points.

“It is possible to do it, even with the squad we have right now.”

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Cardiff City manager Erol Bulut says he would happily sign Ryan Kent – but believes the Fenerbahce winger is attracting interest from Sheffield United.

Ex-Rangers star Kent, 27, has struggled at Fenerbahce since joining the Turkish club last summer and is being tipped for a January return to British football.

Cardiff have been touted as one of the clubs interested in the Oldham-born player.

“I read that, so if you ask me if we want him, immediately I would sign him,” Bulut said.

“From my side it would be no problem, but I know he has some other offers.

“I hear Sheffield United are interested in him, so then we don’t need to continue to speak about it because we cannot make [the deal] done when a Premier League club is chasing him, or another club where he can get more, or the deal can go quicker than what we would have to do.

“But if we could have the possibility, you can be sure [we] will go for it.”

Axel Tuanzebe is another of the many players linked with Cardiff this month, but Bulut played down talk that he could move for the Ipswich defender.

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Winger Josh Bowler says seeing Aaron Ramsey back in action would be "massive" for everyone at Cardiff City.

The Wales captain has returned to training with the Championship club following a knee injury which has kept him out since September.

But Bluebirds manager Erol Bulut "cannot guarantee" when Ramsey will be fit to play 90 minutes.

"It’ll be massive. Everyone knows how good he is and how much he helps the team when he plays," said Bowler.

"He presses well, defensively, and links play. It’ll be big for everyone".

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Erol Bulut says Cardiff City have only 15 senior players available for Saturday’s Championship trip to Plymouth Argyle.

Long-term absentees Aaron Ramsey and Callum O’Dowda remain on the injured list, while Joe Ralls (abductor) is also expected to miss out, Callum Robinson is ill and Rubin Colwill (knee) is doubtful.

“I have problems with my squad – injury and sickness,” Bulut said.

“Right now I have only 15 players available for the game at the weekend.

“Maybe there will be four or five players from the under-21s with us, it looks like that.”

Manager Erol Bulut says he is praying Cardiff City can strengthen their squad this month and feels a failure to sign any players in January would be a “big problem".

Bulut has repeatedly stated that he wants a number of new faces but the Championship club are yet to get a deal over the line.

Bulut believes Cardiff's board are “working hard” on transfers, while the Cardiff City Supporters Trust said this week they have been assured by club sources that some potential deals are at an “advanced stage”.

When asked how he would feel if no signings were made, Bulut said: “It would be a big problem for me and for Cardiff City.

"Our board is working hard on getting some players in.

“I’m hoping and from today I will start to pray for that.

“If it depended on me, I would announce [signings] yesterday.

“I think we could have made at least two transfers in the first 10 days of January. It doesn’t happen.

“Now we have to work much much harder to finalise until February 1 the transfers we need for the team to push to stay close to the play-off positions.

"We are only three points away [from the play-offs] - it’s still nothing."

Cardiff have freed up two places in their squad for potential incomings this month.

Defender Jonathan Panzo has returned to Nottingham Forest after his loan spell was cut shot, while striker Ike Ugbo's loan was halted so he could join Sheffield Wednesday.

“I said before four or five [transfers] would be great. We need it." Bulut added.

“We have two players less so we have to cover those positions. It looks like we need five, maybe six.

“We don’t look only at loan players but we are also looking to sign players permanently."

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Young Cardiff forwared Kieron Evans has joined Gateshead on loan for the remainder of the season.

Evans has made four cup appearances for Cardiff this season but has now switched to the National League side.

Evans spent last season on loan with Torquay United.

Cardiff City Supporters Trust says fans can be assured that potential new signings at the Championship club are at an “advanced stage”.

After talks with "senior sources" at the club, Trust Chair Keith Morgan issued a statement last night following “issues raised by Bluebirds fans on social media”.

“The club directors are working in close co-operation and agreement with the manager and recruitment team to bring in new players either on loan or permanently and a number of potential deals are at an advanced stage,” said Morgan.

“Deals are never straightforward as they have to be agreed with the players involved and their current clubs but it is anticipated that some deals will be finalised and announced in the coming week. The announcements will include players in and out of the club.”

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All focus at Cardiff City is now turning towards Saturday's Championship trip to Plymouth Argyle.

But it appears there's some fans eager to a lot more from their side than they saw in last weekend's heavy defeat to Leeds.

The Bluebirds were comfortably beaten by the promotion-chasing Leeds, a game that prompted a little bit of criticism from manager Erol Bulut towards his players for showing the visitors 'too much respect'.

But Bulut was also the subject of some frustration from fans who joined BBC Radio Wales' Call Rob Phillips phone-in on Saturday evening after the final whistle at the Cardiff City Stadium.

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John from Tonteg said he was frustrated and concerned at the recent run that has seen Cardiff slip to 13th in the Championship table, albeit still just three points off the play-offs.

"What I want from my team is a bit of spirit and to get stuck in," he told the programme, whose guests included ex-Wales striker Iwan Roberts and former Leeds assistant manager Cameron Toshack. "But we didn’t show up and haven’t shown up for about the last eight weeks.

"And I don’t really know what the manager is going to do about it because surely he’s going to have to make some alterations.

"I’m just getting frustrated. I thought we would finish 12th this year and hopefully we have enough points to avoid relegation, but we need to do something we’re starting to look downward now rather than upwards.

"We’re not really showing any endeavour, any guts if you like, and I don’t know where we go."

With Cardiff keen to reinforce the squad in the remaining two weeks of the January transfer window, Dai from Pontypool believes things had "gone off the boil" in recent weeks after picking up ten points from the last ten games.

But he added: "For anyone to be talking about not extending Bulut’s contract I honestly don’t get it because look at what he’s achieved in the first-half of the season.

"His remit was to keep us up. The fact is we’re three points off the play-offs. If you turned around at the start of the season people would have ripped your hand off. He’s done all this under an embargo. It’s a no-brainer."

The final remark was in reference to the recent discussion around extending Bulut's contract having signed a 12-month deal in the summer, but Steve from Barry had a very different opinion.

"What I’d suggest to the Cardiff board is get on the phone to Steve Cooper. I thought (it) was the most abject, pathetic display from a home side I’ve seen for a long time.

"I know we haven’t got much to pick from, but I watched Ryan Wintle at right back at Sheffield Wednesday and then at No.10 looking like a fish out of water and Rubin Colwill on the bench getting splinters. It’s chronically bad. I think Bulut's out of his depth."

The show will be back on Saturday, 20 January after the game at Home Park, with former Bluebirds captain Jason Perry among those taking your calls.

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Cardiff City midfielder Ebou Adams endured a miserable start to the Africa Cup of Nations, seeing red as The Gambia were beaten in their opening tournament game by Senegal.

Adams was sent off for an off-the-ball incident in first-half stoppage time.

The Gambia were already trailing by a goal at that stage, and went on to lose 3-0.

Eli King has joined Ross County on loan from Cardiff City for the remainder of the season.

King spent the opening half of the current campaign on loan at Morecambe, featuring 24 times for the League Two outfit.

He was recalled by the Bluebirds on 8 January and has now secured a temporary switch to the Scottish Premiership.

King signed a new three-year deal with Cardiff last summer.

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Jonathan Panzo's return to Nottingham Forest has been confirmed after his loan spell with Cardiff City was cut short.

The defender made just five appearances for the Bluebirds, with his sole start coming in a 5-2 League Cup defeat at Blackburn Rovers.

He had joined the Welsh club on a season-long loan.

“We'd like to thank Jonathan for his efforts, and wish him all the very best in the future,” a Cardiff statement said.

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Cardiff City’s home Championship fixture against Blackburn Rovers will now take place on Tuesday, 20 February 20 (19:45 GMT).

The fixture was initially scheduled for 27 January, but has been moved due to Rovers’ progression in the FA Cup.

Blackburn defeated Cambridge United in the third round and will host Wrexham at Ewood Park in round four.

The Bluebirds are out of the cup thanks to a 4-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.

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Former Leeds United assistant coach Cameron Toshack says he has sympathy with Cardiff City manager Erol Bulut.

Toshack, who briefly played for the Bluebirds, saw Leeds emerge as comfortable winners in a battle of two of his former clubs at the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday.

Toshack was on Jesse Marsch’s Leeds staff before the American lost his job last season.

“You do feel for Erol Bulut,” Toshack said on BBC Radio Wales’ Call Rob phone-in.

“If you look at the Leeds bench, with the likes of [Joel] Piroe, [Wiflried] Gnonto, [Ian] Poveda, [Joe] Gelhardt and [Mateo Joseph] Fernandez as well - all of those would start for Cardiff.

“All of those players are better than what Cardiff have got, in my opinion.

“I have worked with them, apart from Joel, and they would add what Cardiff are lacking. The goal-to-shot ratio would be far higher, they threaten a back line, they can drop in the hole and link play without losing possession.”

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Former Wales striker Iwan Roberts says Cardiff City boss Erol Bulut “needs a bit of help” after the Bluebirds were well beaten by Leeds United on Saturday.

Cardiff slumped to a seventh defeat in their last 12 league games as they were well beaten 3-0 by Leeds.

Bulut has made it clear he wants new signings during the January transfer window – and BBC Sport Wales pundit Roberts says Cardiff must look to strengthen.

“I think they have looked leggy for a while,” said Roberts.

“Obviously putting the ball in the net is a massive problem. Erol Bulut has tried different formulas in the final third and he still doesn’t know what his best solution is.

“The man needs a bit of help. I do think he needs a bit of help this month.

“This team is crying out for some creativity.”

Cardiff are 13th in the Championship – although they are only three points outside the top six – after the Leeds loss.

They have won their last two away league games, but have taken only one point from the last 12 on offer at home.

“I look at the last two visitors to the Cardiff City Stadium, Leicester and Leeds, and the gulf between the two squads and Cardiff is incredible,” Roberts added on BBC Radio Wales’ Call Rob Phillips phone-in.

“It’s hard to compete against those two and Southampton. Ipswich have done unbelievably well to stay up there.

“Leeds were outstanding, Cardiff were disappointing again.”

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Cardiff's pursuit of Umut Nayir appears to be over after manager Erol Bulut revealed after Saturday's 3-0 defeat by Leeds that the striker had opted to join Turkish club Pendikspor.

Bulut also confirmed that the Bluebirds had signed Japanese defender Ryotaro Tsunoda - but he has immediately joined KV Kortrijk, the Belgian club owned by Cardiff owner Vincent Tan, on loan.

And in another bit of transfer news that followed the Leeds defeat, Bulut revealed that centre-back Jonathan Panzo has returned to Nottingham Forest after having his loan cut short.

"He will be back at Nottingham Forest so we have to take a look at other players," said Bulut.

Panzo made only four substitute appearances for Cardiff in the Championship, and started one game in the League Cup.

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This is what Cardiff manager Erol Bulut had to say about that disappointing 3-0 home defeat by Leeds United.

On Cardiff's performance: “Of course we didn’t expect to lose the game like that. We know about the strong side of Leeds United, but my players today respected the opponent too much.

“We have a quality, better team in front of us, but we have to at least show more fighting spirit and try more to score. You can lose a game, but you have to fight and today was not that case.

“There were too many individual mistakes. If you make mistakes, quality opponents punish you and we got punished like that.”

On failing to deal with Leeds' pressing: “The opponent was pressing but the mistakes we made were not due to the pressure from the opponent. They were simple mistakes we shouldn’t make.

“We were not aggressive enough and not speedy enough. Shadow marking will not help us. We all have to go together and press with speed and aggression. The first half was not that case. We were far away from the opponent."

On Cardiff's home form, picking up four points from a possible 21: “I don’t think about the home or away form. We have to see it generally.

"For us it’s very important to take as many points as possible. We are now at 37 points, we still have 19 games to play so enough points to collect, but with better performances than that."

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Cardiff boss Erol Bulut says Aaron Ramsey is around 10 days away from resuming training.

The Bluebirds and Wales captain Ramsey, 33, has been sidelined since suffering a knee injury in mid-September.

His return would be a welcome boost for club and country.

“Aaron I think next week, 10 days, he will start [training] with the team,” Bulut said.

“He is doing well. I hope he can continue then without any problems and he can be in the team.

“These injuries are always on a small line - something can always happen that an injury again can finish the season for the players.

“Ramsey is a very important players for us. We can see it on the field.”