Championship preview : Portsmouth v Cardiff City
The Craig Bellamy circus rolls into Fratton Park this weekend as Cardiff look to continue their 100% record with their new signing in the side.
The game, quite astonishingly, will be a repeat of the 2008 FA Cup final - which Pompey won 1-0. How things have changed since that success.
Financial turmoil had left the south-coast club plummeting towards extinction, from which they have now saved, but matters on the field are still desperate with manager Steve Cotterill once again only able to name 14 players in his squad. John Utuka has recovered from a hamstring strain which kept him out of their midweek Carling Cup win over Crystal Palace and Kanu is set to make his first start of the season after resolving his contract dispute with the club. Skipper Marc Wilson looks to be on his way out though, as his transfer to either Stoke or West Ham should be completed by the end of the weekend. Pompey have made a less-than spectacular start to life in the Championship, taking one point from their opening three games, and will be searching for that all important first win.
Things are most definitely on the up for the Bluebirds following the arrival of Bellamy and he will return to the side after missing their 2-1 defeat at Peterborough in the week. He will be joined by new signing Andrew Keogh who has been brought in on loan from Wolves to cover for Michael Chopra, who has been ruled out for 10 weeks after rupturing ankle ligaments.
Current league leaders QPR, who are only one of three teams in the Football League who have won all their games to date this season, will be in confident mood ahead of their trip to face Derby County. The R’s have never lost at Pride Park and kept up that record last season despite being 2-0 down after 27 minutes. An Adel Taarabt-inspired comeback that day meant Rangers came out 4-2 victors, and he will be key to their challenge this weekend after impressing in their opening three games.
Derby lost at Coventry last week with an attack made up of midfielder Kris Commons, and left-back Dean Moxey and they will probably lead the line again because of injuries sustained to all of their strikers.
Rangers are likely to be unchanged, with skipper Fitz Hall not recovering from his hamstring injury and Martin Rowlands still a couple of weeks away from returning from the cruciate knee injury which has kept him out for 10 months.
Sheffield United will be looking to earn their first points of the season under new boss Gary Speed when they host Preston North End at Bramall Lane. Another stand-out clash sees Nottingham Forest take on newly promoted Norwich at the City Ground.
Tags: