Hoping to end a three-game losing run in the Championship and bounce back from a South Wales derby defeat, Cardiff City will play host to Rotherham United on Saturday.
A loss to their rivals on Sunday has left the Bluebirds 20th in England's second tier, while their visitors were denied all three points and a climb into the top 10 late on in their trip to Coventry City on Tuesday.
Match preview
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Cardiff City experienced a relatively slow start to the Championship season, and manager Steve Morison departed the club in mid-September as a result with 11 points on the board from the opening 10 matches.
Former Bluebirds captain Mark Hudson has taken over as caretaker boss since, and his tenure began impressively with a draw against Burnley and back-to-back league wins over Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic to quickly scale the table.
They have not managed to continue that form, though, and the Welsh outfit now head into the weekend on the back of three consecutive losses, firstly falling short at home to Coventry City before being thrashed 3-0 away at Queens Park Rangers, as Lyndon Dykes hit a brace and Kenneth Paal added a third for the Hoops after Cardiff defender Jack Simpson was shown an early red card.
They would then make the trip to Swansea for a South Wales Derby on Sunday and again saw their cause harmed by an early dismissal, as Callum Robinson was sent off inside the first 10 minutes, and their rivals capitalised and went ahead through Oliver Cooper before Michael Obafemi added the second in the second half following a dominant Swans showing.
Having now dropped back to 20th spot under Hudson's management, with a dent in their confidence from a losing run and a derby defeat, the Bluebirds will be desperate to put their slump behind them on Saturday and return to winning ways on home turf.
They face a tough test, though, as Rotherham United arrive looking to jump back into the top 10, having impressed on their return to the Championship.
Long-serving manager Paul Warne set out to guide the Millers to their first Championship survival under his stewardship after two previous relegations back to the third tier in recent years, and they enjoyed a strong start, picking up 14 points from nine games before Warne departed for Derby County in September.
Matt Taylor would then take the reins, and after a draw and a defeat, he would oversee a first victory at home to Huddersfield, thanks to goals from Georgie Kelly and Conor Washington, before they withstood intense pressure after Oliver Rathbone's early opener to make it two on the bounce with a 1-0 victory away at Stoke City.
The Millers were unable to make it three victories in a row when they hosted Hull City last weekend, though, eventually falling to a 4-2 defeat with Kelly's 89th-minute goal coming too late to force a comeback, and they faced further disappointment last time out, looking set to win 2-1 away at Coventry City thanks to goals from Cohen Bramall and Washington, only for their hosts to force a share of the spoils through Viktor Gyokeres in injury time.
Despite their recent setbacks, the South Yorkshire outfit still have plenty of reason to be positive about their start to the season with the ultimate aim of survival, and Taylor's men will look to improve on their current position in 11th place with what would be a sixth league win of the campaign on Saturday.
Team News
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Cardiff City will be without attacker Callum Robinson due to a suspension after his red card against Swansea, meaning Mark Harris may lead the line from the outset in a 4-3-3 setup.
The likes of Sheyi Ojo, Kion Etete, Callum O'Dowda are also battling to feature in the front line, while Rubin Colwill remains sidelined by an injury.
Perry Ng is another doubt due to a fitness concern, and Tom Sang, Cedric Kipre, Curtis Nelson and Niels Nkounkou should again line up in the back four in his absence, while Joe Ralls will likely be joined by Ryan Wintle and Andy Rinomhota in the engine room.
Key Rotherham United forward Chiedozie Ogbene remains sidelined by an injury alongside defender Peter Kioso, meaning Georgie Kelly and Conor Washington could again start in attack, although Tom Eaves will also be fighting to come back in from the outset after being reduced to a substitute appearance last time out.
Veteran defender Richard Wood also had to settle for an appearance off the bench, with Taylor recently preferring a back three of Cameron Humphreys, Lee Peltier and Middlesbrough loanee Grant Hall.
Brooke Norton-Cuffy will be hoping to displace Wes Harding and start in a right wing-back role, while the midfield unit of Ben Wiles, Dan Barlaser and Hakeem Odoffin is unlikely to be changed on Saturday.
Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Allsop; Sang, Kipre, Nelson, Nkounkou; Wintle, Ralls, Rinomhota; O'Dowda, Harris, Ojo
Rotherham United possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Peltier, Hall, Humphreys; Norton-Cuffy, Wiles, Barlaser, Odoffin, Bramall; Kelly, Washington
We say: Cardiff City 1-1 Rotherham United
Rotherham United have enjoyed the stronger season thus far and meet a Cardiff side experiencing a slump, but the hosts still boast plenty of quality and should see Saturday's game at home as a good chance to put points on the board.
We see a share of the spoils as the most likely outcome, with neither expected to dominate their opponents in South Wales.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
