I’ll give kids their chance next term – Warnock

SOL Bamba has been ruled out of Cardiff City’s Championship clash with Brentford through injury.

The centre-back limped off the pitch during the Bluebirds’ 0-0 draw with Barnsley at Oakwell on Tuesday night, being replaced by captain Sean Morrison who started the game in south Yorkshire on the bench. And Neil Warnock has revealed the defender is not fit to face the Bees in the Welsh capital on Saturday. “It’s difficult to say with Sol,” said Warnock.

“He’s had a scan but he won’t be available for the weekend. It doesn’t look good.”

Goalkeeper Allan McGregor was also forced off in the game against the Tykes, with his understudy Brian Murphy coming in midway through the match at Oakwell.

And Warnock will give the Scot until the last minute to see whether or not he’s fit to face Brentford, although the Cardiff boss admitted he was pleased with Murphy’s performance in the second half against Paul Heckingbottom’s side.

“McGregor’s bruising has gone down a lot and if there’s any doubt he won’t play,” added the Cardiff manager.

“Murphy has done well when he’s played so we won’t risk him (McGregor).” NEIL Warnock has outlined his plans to give Cardiff City’s youth players the chance to play first team football next season following the English Football League’s (EFL) recent rule changes.

The EFL have announced that the 72 Football League sides will have to select at least one club developed player in each matchday squad from the start of the 2018/19 season.

And as part of their plans to improve chances for young players at Football League clubs, teams will also have to include an additional home-grown player in their matchday squads as of next season, with sides currently needing six such players in their match squads.

But Warnock does not think the changes will have a major impact on how Cardiff operate, adding that the Bluebirds have the structure in place to cope with the EFL’s new rules.

“I don’t think it’ll change anything if I’m honest,” said Warnock.

“If they (clubs) haven’t got one good enough they’ll put one in the squad and they’ll never get a look in. You’ve just got to concentrate on your squad and try to get one into the team.

“I don’t look that far ahead but I don’t think it’ll change that much.

“Managers don’t really look beyond the next 12 months. In the Championship for example, 1.2 years is the average tenure of a manager so what’s the point of a manager looking two or three years down the line.

“The club’s got to have a good grounding and bring the academy through in the right way, away from the manager.”

Youngster Rhys Healey enjoyed a run in the team after returning from his loan spell with League Two side Newport County midway through the campaign.

The striker netted his first goal for the club in January, scoring a late winner as the Bluebirds beat Warnock’s former side Burton 1-0 at Cardiff City Stadium.

But in only his second start for the club, Healey suffered a serious knee injury in the 5-0 win over Rotherham and was ruled out of action for up to nine months.

The Yorkshireman had hoped to give the 22-year-old a run of games before the end of the season while Warnock is hoping Healey’s fellow youth player Mark Harris will make his first team bow in the league between now and the end of the