Neil Warnock’s Bluebirds play their opening pre-season fixture in front of a capacity attendance at Taff’s Well FC this evening (Friday, 7pm).
Around 3,000 spectators will be at the Rhiw Ddar Stadium to watch Cardiff City captain Sean Morrison and his team take on Welsh League Division One opposition.
Manager Warnock arranged the fixture, strolling into the Taffs Well bar on a Sunday afternoon, and Cardiff ground staff have put a huge amount of effort into helping the Wellmen prepare their pitch and ground for this game.
Defender Callum Paterson and striker Rhys Healey are ruled out by injuries, while Lee Tomlin, Idriss Saadi, Lee Peltier and Kadeem Harris will also miss out. Goalkeeper Lee Camp is a doubt.
Kenneth Zohore, Aaron Gunnarsson and Junior Hoilett won’t be involved because they started pre-season training after club-mates because they were on international duty.
Former Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday player Lewis McGugan is on trial with the Bluebirds, but seems unlikely to be at Taff’s Well because he is working on building his fitness at the training ground.
Warnock will still have more than 20 players at Taffs Well, including some from Cardiff’s under-23 squad, with money raised being donated to charities Velindre and Cancer Research.
Cardiff fans will have the chance to watch new signings Loic Damour, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Danny Ward, Lee Tomlin and goalkeeper Neil Etheridge for the first time.
Playmaker Tomlin, signed from Bristol City, could be the man to fill the gap left by long-serving Peter Whittingham’s departure to Blackburn Rovers, while all-action midfield man Damour is a strong, energetic midfield presence.
The Cardiff squad named also includes a number of players who look likely to move on in the next few weeks. They are Craig Noone, Anthony Pilkington, Declan John, Frederic Gounongbe and goalkeeper Ben Wilson.
Warnock takes his team to Cornwall this weekend for the start of their week-long pre-season tour, while the Wellman have already been in pre-season action and drew 2-2 against Welsh Premier League Cardiff Met at their Cyncoed Stadium home.
Any ticket enquiries should be made to the Cardiff City Stadium offices on 0845 345 1400.
Cardiff City squad: S Bamba, J Bennett, M Connolly, L Damour, B Manga, N Etheridge (gk), F Gounongbe, G Halford, M Harris, D John, M Kennedy, I Meite, N Mendez-Laing, S Morrison (capt), B Murphy (gk), C Noone, S O’Keefe, A Pilkington, J Ralls, J Richards, D Ward, B Wilson (gk).
Cardiff City’s full pre-season fixtures
July
Friday 14: Taff’s Well (away 7pm, Rhiw Ddar)
Monday 17: AFC Tavistock (away 7pm, Langsford Park)
Wednesday 19: Bodmin Town (away 7pm, Priory Park)
Thursday 20: Under-23 v AFC St. Austell (away 7pm, Poltair Park)
Friday 21: Plymouth Argyle FC (away 7pm, Home Park)
Saturday 22: Under-23 Bideford AFC (away 2pm, The Sports Ground)
Tuesday 25: Shrewsbury Town (away 7pm, The Greenhous Meadow)
Wednesday 26: under-23 v Hereford United (away, 7.45pm, Edgar Street)
Friday 28/Saturday 29: To be arranged (home, Cardiff City Stadium)