RALLS FITNESS BOOST FOR BLUEBIRDS:
BUT BLUEBIRDS BOSS HARRIS INSISTS HE’LL NEED TIME TO GET BACK UP TO SPEED:
CARDIFF City boss Neil Harris will finally be able to call upon Joe Ralls for today’s clash against Stoke City.
The Bluebirds midfielder has endured a rotten few months when it comes to injuries, having played just one full match against Leeds United before Christmas.
But, having been so influential for much of the start of the season, Harris will be happy to welcome Ralls back into the first-team fray.
How much of a part he will play, given he has had so little game time, remains to be seen.
“Joe has got a big heart as we know,” the manager said.
“He has missed a lot of football, so he is desperate to be back in the group.
“But we all understand that, as much as he’s a fit lad and a warrior, you need time.
“In my time here, Joe has had very limited time on the grass, so we have to be respectful to that as well.
“He’s a super player and an important part of the squad and it’s a real plus for us.”
Elsewhere, the Bluebirds have had a clean bill of health following last week’s 2-2 draw with Wigan.
If fans were thinking Brad Smith might get a run in the side following
Harris’ curt response to Joe Bennett’s substitution last week, they can think again as the City boss poured cold water over any talk of a dressing-room feud at half-time.
“Heat of the moment at the time, I was quite disappointed with the referee’s performance,” Harris said of his thoughts after the Wigan game.
“When I was asked why Joe came off, for reasons I didn’t go into, everyone made quite a big deal of it.
“But it was nothing, he had played three games in a week. When I said big calls for a manager, I meant big calls in the sense of sometimes you have to take good players off.
“Joe came off, for protection, tactical reasons, whichever way you want to put it.
“Jazz came on at left-back, Leo (Bacuna) came on at right-back for his attacking output, and it was the right call at the right time.”
So it appears Harris could name the same starting XI for the fourth game in a row, which will be a real plus considering the rich vein of form the Bluebirds currently find themselves in.
That could also mean, unfortunately, that both Dion Sanderson and Smith could be left waiting once again for their Cardiff City debuts.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Matthew Connolly and Isaac Vassell continue to be the long-term absentees.
Meanwhile, Stoke boss Michael O’Neill is not fazed by City’s general upturn in form following the arrival of Harris.
O’Neill is looking for a positive performance and has just one significant new injury concern, with Stephen Ward unavailable to face the Bluebirds. Striker Tyrese Campbell has declared himself fit after going off with a calf injury in last weekend’s 4-2 loss to QPR.
“They are in a good little run of form,” said the Potters boss.
“I’m sure they have ambitions for top six, it doesn’t look like they’ll get dragged into the relegation situation.
“Neil Harris has got results in recent weeks.
“In the game down there I thought we were the better team for large parts of the game, but didn’t have the cutting edge.
“We played very well at home to Charlton and for large parts of the game at home to Preston and that’s what we want.
“It’s not a concern because that’s what you deal with in the Championship,” added O’Neill.
“We’ve played teams possibly on a bad run who have come and made it difficult for us, so you just have to play what’s in front of you.
“We are aware they’ve had some decent results, but over a period of time our form is actually better than theirs over 13 games or so, and that’s something we will emphasise to the players.
“We only focus on what we are in control of, and that’s our level of performance.
Cardiff City predicted XI: Smithies; Richards, Morrison, Nelson, Bennett; Pack, Vaulks; Adomah, Tomlin, Murphy; Paterson.