Bluebirds to relax and enjoy Butlins!

NEIL Warnock will order his Cardiff City players to take a rest over the international break as reward for their hard graft in recent months.

The Bluebirds broke the 50-point barrier with a vintage display to beat Ipswich Town last weekend, and now have almost a fortnight until they return to action against Wolves on April 1.

With safety guaranteed and little to play for between now and the end of the season, Warnock has rewarded his troops with a holiday. Some, he revealed, will be heading to warmer climates, while other players will settle for a trip to Butlins.

“They need a break first of all,” said the Bluebirds manager.

“They’ll be having a few days off next weekend.

“Some of them will go abroad, some are going to Butlins at Cleethorpes — it depends on what stature they are I suppose.

“We’ll all be having a break and quite right, I think they’ve deserved it as well.”

Some, like Junior Hoilett, Allan McGregor, Jazz Richards and Kenneth Zohore, will jet off for international duty.

But for the rest – particularly Sol Bamba,

Warnock revealed – now is the time for rest, relaxation and recuperation.

Warnock added: “I’ve told Sol (Bamba) to have a holiday — see you in a week!”

“I’m going to Scotland, I’m hoping to watch Junior play on Wednesday against McGregor in Edinburgh (when Canada take on Scotland).

“I’m looking forward to a nice break to be honest, away from the hullabaloo of Cardiff and the Championship.”

Warnock will trust his players to return fighting fit, insisting he would never ‘restrict’ his players to any rigorous schedule during their time off.

But he says the days of players coming back out of shape were long gone.

“I’ll know in training if they’ve not been doing it (keeping fit) and they’ll not play in the next game,” he added.

“I’ll know if they’ve abused it, but players don’t do that nowadays. I don’t restrict them from doing anything, they’ve just got to be sensible. They’ll not enjoy it with any other managers in the league as they do with me. And they’ll put it back in.

“So it’s a two-way job.”