Cardiff City play two under-23 development fixtures this week.

The Bluebirds are away to Queens Park Rangers in London this afternoon (Monday, 1pm), while they entertain Southampton on Thursday.

City’s clash with QPR is a Professional Development League match, while they take on Saints in a Premier League Cup group match at Cardiff International Sports Campus (2pm).

They have already drawn 1-1 at Blackburn Rovers in the cup, while Watford complete the group.

Cardiff will play home and away fixtures against their cup rivals with two going forward to the knockout stages. There are 32 teams in the cup split into eight groups.

Jarred Harvey and Andy Legg are in charge of Cardiff’s development team and they have been able to include over-age players Anthony Pilkington, Frederic Gounongbe, Greg Halford, Callum Paterson and goalkeeper Lee Camp in the team so far this season.

The young Bluebirds won 2-0 against Watford in their last Development League fixture when Mark Harris and captain James Waite, from a penalty, scored the goals.

Goalkeeper George Ratcliffe, Cameron Coxe, Waite, Jack Bodenham, Sion Spence were among the development team players who started for Cardiff in their 5-0 FAW Youth Cup win against Merthyr Town on Sunday.

Big centre-half Jack Bodenham, from Cwmbran, is a former Croesyceiliog Comprehensive School pupil who has shown a lot of potential since signing for the Bluebirds on his 14th birthday.

He has played for Wales at under-16 and under-17 levels and is on a two-year apprentice contract.

Bodenham suffered a blow to the face during Cardiff’s match against Merthyr and spent several minutes having treatment on the sidelines before replacing his blood-stained shirt and returning to the action.

The under-23 squad includes three sons for former Cardiff first team players in Connor Young (dad Scott), Sam Bowen (Jason) and Ben Margetson (Martyn).