Cardiff City v Norwich City - all you need to know
Todd Cantwell, left, celebrates after scoring City's second in a 2-0 win over Cardiff in December - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Norwich City resume Championship duties when they head to Cardiff (3pm). We run down all the key points you need to know.
Injury update
Bali Mumba and Xavi Quintilla are out after testing positive for coronavirus. Tim Krul and Adam Idah are out of self-isolation after testing positive but Krul is still feeling the after-effects. Idah has a knee injury.
Lukas Rupp and Josh Martin are out with flu like symptoms, although they have returned negative test results. Christoph Zimmermann (hip) is missing as is Marco Stiepermann, who has been diagnosed with Epstein Barr virus, after complaining of issues related to an ear infection. Kieran Dowell underwent minor surgery on an ankle and could feature. Sam Byram (hamstring) is out while Michael McGovern is expected to be out for 11-13 weeks after hamstring surgery.
Cardiff, meanwhile, have been rocked by the news that defender Sol Bamba has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and has started chemotherapy. Striker Kieffer Moore may feature after a hamstring injury but Lee Tomlin is out. Right-back Jordi Osei-Tutu is a doubt with a hamstring problem. Greg Cunningham and Sean Morrison are unlikely to be fit.
Norwich City head coach Daniel Farke after the December win over Cardiff at Carrow Road - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Daniel Farke on Cardiff
"Cardiff are a side who know how they play. Kieffer Moore [top scorer] could come back in, they have an unbelievably experienced coach in Neil Harris. Right now, they're not in the position they want to be but they have the potential to win five or six in a row, as they've already shown this season. "It will be a difficult away game and they'll be highly-motivated coming up against the league leaders at home."
Cardiff City manager Neil Harris - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Neil Harris on Norwich
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"Best team in the league. Without losing anyone in the summer it made them pre-season favourites to go back up and they have stuck to that tag. We got undone by two super finishes (last time), but we shot ourselves in the foot in the middle of the park. We have got to be better than we were at Norwich. We turned the ball over too easily and caused ourselves problems and we have got to be better than that."
Kenny McLean up against Cardiff's Will Vaulks at Carrow Road in December - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Last time they met
December 19, 2020
Norwich City 2 Cardiff City 0
Goals in each half by Emi Buendia and Todd Cantwell settled the issue and made it five wins in a row for the Canaries. It could have been a more emphatic scoreline, but City missed a host of opportunities.
Match referee Tony Harrington - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Referee
Tony Harrington
Been in charge of 15 Championship games this season in which he has shown 40 yellow cards and one red. Was the man in the middle when City won 1-0 at Middlesbrough in November, when his only booking was Jacob Sorensen
How can I watch?
The game is being shown exclusively on iFollow – costing £10. Go here https://www.canaries.co.uk/first-team/Fixtures/first-team/202021/january/cardiff-city-vs-norwich-city-on-16-jan-21/
You can follow our live coverage at pinkun.com
Prediction
City really are in form – one defeat in an eight-game league run which has included six wins. Cardiff have lost four of their last five in the league, plus they went out of the FA Cup a week ago. Got to go for an away win – 2-0.
