Cardiff City

Leeds will seek to get back to winning ways after the stalemate at Burnley as they welcome Cardiff to Elland Road on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Bluebirds are 18th, four points ahead of the drop-zone, while Whites have a two-point cushion over second-placed Sheffield United.

• Leeds United have won each of their past two league games against Cardiff City and will be looking to win three in succession against the Welsh side for the first time since September 2016.

• Cardiff City have lost just one of their past 13 away league games against Leeds United (W7 D5), a 1-0 loss at Elland Road in November 2015.

• Leeds are unbeaten in their past 11 Championship matches (W7 D4), and have kept a clean sheet in each of their past three – they last managed four consecutive shutouts in the competition in January/February 2024 (a run of five).

• Cardiff have won just one of their past 16 away league games (D8 L7), though the Bluebirds have scored exactly two goals in five of their last six outings on the road.

• Since the start of last season, Dan James has been directly involved in 23 goals in 33 league appearances at Elland Road (16 goals, seven assists); the most of any Leeds player in this period.

Image source, BBC Sport

Ivor: As courageous and together the team are, they are just not good enough. Every season two teams show they are superior with points far ahead at the top, they also manage to sign excellent strikers, why can't city?

Terry: Football is a constant revolving door, players come and players go. Done properly, football is a balance between squad improvement and the development of younger players, of course all dependent on a budget. For teams like Cardiff it's always a trade-off, will the next one through the door improve the overall standard.

Stephen: The team are still in a relegation battle due to the very poor start to the season, despite the recent upturn in form. Teams around us are picking up valuable survival points. A few games without any points could easily see us drop back into the bottom three. There have been goals leaked all season by not shutting down the opposition.

Andy: Omer Riza is doing great, the players are really playing for him, as well as grinding out results. A few more areas could do with bulking.

Mark: Given the injuries to both Aaron Ramsey and David Turnbull, I think extra creativity from midfield is needed. The new Norwegian player is more of a defensive midfielder, so we could do with a 10 or a second striker who plays behind the main striker. We could also do with a winger or an inside forward that can cross the ball, that would be a bonus.

Michael: It looks as though the search for a decent goal scorer has finally come to an end with the signing of Salech. He looks to be a proven 'poacher' in the old school sense of the word. The midfield is solid, you've got Robinson chipping in with goals and Joe Ralls providing some grit and steel. However, defensively I think the team might need another good defender.

Doushki: Desperately need additions at right and left back, Perry Ng's form has been shocking this season and Joel Bagan needs competition. Andy Rinomhota has been a good backup for Ng, but we need better. I'd also like a new keeper as Alnwick's distribution is shocking and Horvath is awful. A new speedster out wide is also required to give us more options going forward.

Jonathan: I've been impressed with a couple of the signings so far, but we still need a decent pacey winger, a creative midfielder and a solid left back before the window shuts. We're still in a relegation fight and the fixtures over the next month will determine whether we are still in that fight come March and April.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff City's rearranged Championship fixture against Hull City will be played on Wednesday, 26 February (19:45 GMT).

The match was originally scheduled for Saturday, 8 February, but was postponed following Cardiff's progression to the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The Bluebirds will instead travel to Stoke City on that date.

It has been an impressive few weeks for Cardiff City.

While they are still too close to the Championship relegation places for comfort, Saturday's 2-1 win over Derby County means it is now eight games without defeat for manager Omer Riza.

That run of course includes a hammering of south Wales rivals Swansea City to really put the smiles back on the faces at Cardiff City Stadium.

And with the arrival of striker Yousef Salech making an immediate impact with a first goal in the injury-time draw at Millwall, things seem to be looking up.

But with a week to go until the January transfer window closes, do Cardiff have what it takes to maintain this move away from trouble?

Or does Riza need more additions to really start fuelling confidence that the side can avoid a relegation battle?

Have your say here, external

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Cardiff City are hopeful of making further signings this week, with Ajax midfielder Sivert Mannsverk the latest player to be linked.

The Bluebirds have only brought in one player so far, striker Yousef Salech from Swedish side Sirius.

Reports in the Dutch media claim Cardiff are set to sign Mannsverk on loan until the end of the season, but sources at the Welsh club have yet to confirm their interest.

The Norwegian midfielder, 22, has only made two league appearances for Ajax this season because of injury.

Mannsverk joined Ajax from Molde, in his native Norway, in 2023.

"We've got everything in hand in respect of transfers. Everything's still ongoing," said Cardiff manager Omer Riza.

"We've still got nine or ten days left and conversations have been good with players, the board and the clubs.

"So hopefully things will move forward in the next three to five to six days. Hopefully."

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff City manager Omer Riza believes a more "aggressive" mindset has been key to their unbeaten run which has revived their bid for Championship survival.

Cardiff beat relegation rivals Derby County 2-1 on Saturday to make it eight games without defeat in all competitions.

The unbeaten run is all the more remarkable as it has come immediately after the Bluebirds had gone nine matches without winning.

They are now 18th in the Championship table, four points clear of the bottom three.

"It [the unbeaten run] is really important, coming off a run when we didn't win in nine," said Riza.

"There was always an element of competitiveness in those games but we weren't doing what we're doing now. It's important we had this block of games.

"The attitude and mindset is more aggressive. We're building that now, credit to the players. Other teams have lost around us or drawn. We just have to keep pushing forwards."

Cardiff's next match is away against Championship leaders Leeds United next Saturday.

Before then, Riza will attend his father's funeral on Tuesday following his death earlier this month.

Image source, Getty Images

Omer Riza admits Cardiff City's Championship fixture with Derby County is "massive" given the Bluebirds' struggles against some of their relegation rivals this season.

Cardiff are unbeaten in six league matches going into their meeting with the Rams in south Wales on Saturday (15:00 GMT) but remain just two points and two places above the bottom three.

Paul Warne's side have lost five successive league outings ahead of the trip to the Welsh capital to sit one one and one position below Cardiff.

And Riza admits Cardiff are well aware of the need to pick up points against teams around them in the fight to avoid the drop into League One.

"[The games against the teams around you] are really important," Riza said.

"It's probably where we've not done too well. If you look at Oxford and you look at Preston, they've gone up slightly, QPR, so we have to make sure we get that right.

"The boys know how important it is, we know how important it is and I'm sure come Saturday, we'll be ready to go.

"It's a massive game again."

Goalkeeper Jak Alnwick admits Derby's recent run fully highlights the unpredictable nature of the Championship.

"Every game's massive, whether we play Derby or Leeds the week after, we're going in with the same mentality," said the goalkeeper.

"I was looking at Derby about eight or nine games ago like everyone else saying 'they're having a brilliant season'.

"But their form has dropped a little bit and they're down there with us at the minute.

"It's such a crazy league that anything can happen, but we'll focus on ourselves and bring what we bring and every game is massive between now and the end of the season."

Image source, Huw Evans Agency

Omer Riza expects Ollie Tanner, Alex Robertson and Callum O'Dowda to be available for Cardiff City's Championship fixture with Derby County on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The trio missed the 2-2 draw against Millwall at The Den on Tuesday night, with Tanner and O'Dowda picking up injuries during the 3-0 triumph over rivals Swansea City three days earlier while Robertson was ill.

But Riza expects all three players to be involved when the Bluebirds host the Rams at Cardiff City Stadium this weekend.

"We picked up some knocks so we had to make changes to the starting 11 against Millwall. They're healing, shall we say," he said.

"Hopefully we should have everyone back."

Aaron Ramsey returned to training on Thursday after another period on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury, although the Wales midfielder is still thought to be several weeks away from a first team return.

Isaak Davies and David Turnbull remain sidelined.

Derby County visit Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon (15:00 GMT) where they attempt to avoid a six-match losing streak.

The Rams lost 1-0 to Sunderland on Tuesday and will be hoping to stop the rot against a Bluebirds side who are one point ahead of them in the Championship table.

Cardiff drew with Millwall on the road to put themselves above the East Midlands side but remain in danger of dropping into the relegation zone with two points separating them from Hull City and Luton Town.

• Cardiff have won each of their past three home league games against Derby, with those victories coming via a combined 7-1 scoreline.

• After winning the reverse fixture 1-0 in September, Derby will be looking to produce a first league double over Cardiff since the 1985-86 season.

• Cardiff have won one of their past seven home league games (W1 D2 L4), though that sole victory did come last time out in a 3-0 win over Swansea City.

• Since returning to the Championship this season, Derby have won one of their 14 away league games in total (W1 D4 L9). Only Plymouth Argyle have won fewer on the road (0) than the Rams.

• Derby have lost each of their past five away league games against sides from Wales since a 3-2 victory over Swansea in February 2020. The Rams have not lost more in succession since 1965 (nine defeats).

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff City need more new signings to help them move away from the Championship relegation zone, according to former Bluebirds striker Nathan Blake.

City's only recruit so far this month is Danish striker Yousef Salech, who scored his first goal for the club on Tuesday to secure a 2-2 draw at Millwall.

Boss Omer Riza hopes Salech, who signed last week for more than £3m, will help propel Cardiff to Championship safety.

But Blake believes more new faces are needed with the club just two points above the relegation zone.

"Yes, I think so, I do," Blake told Radio Wales Sport.

"The Championship is such a long season and such a hard season.

"It only takes two or three injures and all of a sudden the subs' bench is looking really bare, and people are saying 'our squad isn't strong enough'.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't think you need 30-odd players, but if you've got 25 quality first-team players right from one to 25, I think it's a huge help in a 46-game season."

Riza said earlier this month he wanted to sign "three or four" players to improve Cardiff's attack and add more pace before the transfer window closes on 3 February.

Regardless of whether Cardiff manage to get any more deals done, Blake believes Riza has the ability to guide his team up the table.

They are currently 19th after six Championship games without defeat.

"I do like the way he's adjusted," said Blake.

"He's not just decided to play a certain way which is ingrained in him and said 'regardless of results, I'm not going to change, I'll keep going the same way'.

"That's a match-up for disaster. You've got to be adaptable, to be able to change.

"Leave him to his own devices. Let him do what he's doing. He's got the ability to take them to a higher level. Not the top level, but a higher one than they are at."

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Steven Caulker believes former club Cardiff City have built momentum at the right time as they strive to pull clear of the Championship relegation fight.

The Bluebirds followed last weekend's south Wales derby win against Swansea City with a 2-2 Tuesday night draw at Millwall.

A late goal from new signing Yousef Salech, who came off the bench at The Den, saw Omer Riza's side extend their unbeaten league run to six games.

"It was really, really important [at Millwall] just to keep momentum," Caulker told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

"It's six games unbeaten and seven if you include the FA Cup as well. I just think when the team's down the bottom fighting for points, those last-minute equalisers do feel like winners.

"I feel Omer's doing a good job. He started off really well, had a rough patch, and Cardiff seem to be turning a corner."

Caulker says Cardiff, who host 20th-place Derby County on Saturday, have found momentum at "a really good time" in the season.

"You don't want to be in that relegation zone in March, you don't want to be there in April, and you certainly don't want to be there May," he added.

"I think they're full of confidence and they've got, let's say, a winnable game on the weekend against Derby County, which would actually see them start to pull away from the relegation zone [if they win]. So fingers crossed the momentum stays with them."

The draw at Millwall, in which Cardiff came back from 2-0 down, means Riza's side are two points clear of the relegation places in 19th ahead of Wednesday's Championship fixtures.

Image source, Rex Features

Millwall head coach Alex Neil described his side's defending as "nearly criminal" after they surrendered a two-goal lead to draw with Cardiff City at The Den on Tuesday.

Calum Scanlon's first professional goal put the home side ahead little more than a minute into the game before Casper De Norre doubled the lead on 19 minutes.

But Chris Willock's strike in first-half added time gave the Bluebirds a lifeline before substitute Yousef Salech scored his first goal for the club in the seventh minute of time added on at the end to draw the Welsh side level.

The result means the Lions have now gone six Championship games without a win, with Neil still waiting for his first league victory since joining the club last month.

"We conceded a goal a minute before half-time and then in the last minute of the game so from our perspective that is nearly criminal," Neil told BBC Radio London.

"Both goals, we don't clear our lines properly, kick it straight to them and within one or two touches the ball ends up in the back of our net.

"In that respect we only have ourselves to blame.

"When you are tired that's when you need to dig in and be professional and see the game out. When we score two goals and are 2-0 up, we expected to win the game from there. It's so hard to accept."

Millwall visit Luton Town in one of Saturday's early kick-offs.