While Cardiff City and Bolton Wanderers fans may have been hoping for a promotion push this season, they have endured turbulent campaigns and a change of manager.
However, a top-half finish is still within reach of both teams and a win for either side at the Cardiff City Stadium could boost their prospects of achieving that.
Cardiff City
The Bluebirds may have started the season with hopes of regaining their Premier League status, but early on it became quite clear that the Welsh outfit would struggle to live up to that expectation.
Within weeks of the campaign kicking off, Cardiff found themselves in the midst of a relegation battle and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was dismissed only nine months after succeeding Malky Mackay.
Russell Slade was drafted in from Leyton Orient to take the hotseat at the Cardiff City Stadium and has helped the club away from the danger zone and, despite drawing with FA Cup semi-finalists Reading, they are only two points away from reaching the top half of the division.
Cardiff, now back playing in blue after a change of heart from owner Vincent Tan, have become a difficult side to beat of late, having lost only once in their last six matches and taken points off high-flyers Brentford and Bournemouth in recent weeks.
With a 15-point gap to Derby County in the playoff places, hopes of a trip to Wembley and a place in the Premier League are very slim at best.
However, a good finish to the current campaign may give Bluebirds fans hope that they can mount a challenge for promotion next season.
Recent form: WLWDWD
Bolton Wanderers
© Getty Images
Bolton's campaign has somewhat mirrored that of Cardiff's, with a poor start, a possible relegation dogfight, a change of manager and an upturn in form in the second half of the season.
The Trotters had a disastrous start under Dougie Freedman, winning just once in their first Championship 10 games to be rooted to the bottom of the table.
Freedman left by mutual consent in October before Bolton drafted in Neil Lennon, which brought about a change of fortune at the Macron Stadium.
Such was Wanderers' upturn in form that they are now 10 points clear of third-from-bottom Millwall heading into the run in.
Bolton have only lost two of their last seven games, with one of their two victories in that period coming against Millwall thanks to a double from Adam Le Fondre.
Lennon's side can still claim a top-half finish, but may need a victory in South Wales to boost their ambitions.
Recent form: DLWLDD
Team News
© Getty Images
The Bolton boss may opt to change his forward line, with striker Eidur Gudjohnsen likely to come in for Emile Heskey after scoring a stoppage-time equaliser against bottom club Blackpool on Saturday.
Lennon still has injury doubts over Max Clayton (knee), Zach Clough (shoulder), Kevin McNaughton (leg), Marc Tierney (leg) and David Wheater (hamstring), while Simeon Slavchev is possibly out for the rest of the season with ankle ligament damage.
Darren Pratley is continuing his recovery from a hamstring problem, but was left out of the draw with the Tangerines, while teenager Tom Walker could feature for the Trotters.
Cardiff could be without Simon Cox after he picked up a knock against Charlton Athletic, which kept him out of the draw at Reading.
The Bluebirds may continue with their new strike pairing of Eoin Doyle and Conor McAleny after the pair started together for the first time at the Madejski Stadium.
Cardiff possible starting lineup:
Marshall; Peltier, Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Malone; Noone, Gunnarsson, Whittingham, Ralls; McAleny, Doyle
Bolton possible starting lineup:
Amos; Mills, McCarthy, Ream; Feeney, Trotter, Bannan, Danns, Walker; Le Fondre, Gudjohnsen
Head To Head
Although Cardiff are facing a side that have won just twice on the road this season, the Bluebirds have only beaten Wanderers on one occasion in more than 26 years, albeit the sides have only met six times over that period.
The Welsh side's only victory in that time was an away victory in the FA Cup fourth round last season, thanks to a Fraizer Campbell winner.
Otherwise, Cardiff have not beaten Bolton in a league fixture since a third-tier clash at Ninian Park in January 1989.
We say: Cardiff 2-1 Bolton
Any side managed by Neil Lennon is likely to offer a stern test. However, the Trotters have only mustered 12 points on their travels this season and Cardiff's home record is a reasonable one, so the Bluebirds are slight favourites.
Chris O'Keefe
