Bluebirds could be early birds

CARDIFF CITY could find themselves back in the Premier League in just EIGHT days’ time.

Neil Warnock’s Bluebirds regained the driving seat in the promotion race by beating Norwich 2-0 while rivals Fulham could only draw at home to Bretford.

Most fans and pundits reckon the battle to go up will go right to the wire on the final day of the Championship season.

But is is possible for Cardiff to do it much earlier than that with the following sequence of not so unfeasible results.

If play-off chasing Millwall beat Fulham at The Den on Friday, then two Cardiff wins – against Nottingham Forest on Saturday and Derby on April 24 – could make them uncatchable.

Were that scenario to happen, Cardiff would roar up to 89 points. Given Fulham would still be on 82, and with two games left to play, the maximum they could reach would be 88.

Aston Villa, the only other contenders, have three games left and can also only get to 88.

Warnock and his players, of course, won’t be counting any chickens and will just take things game by game.

But they will be hoping for Millwall to do them a favour on Friday evening. Neil Harris’ side have hauled themselves up into the top six with a club record 17-game Championship unbeaten run.

Warnock’s men also have fixtures to come away to Hull and at home to Reading. If they win three of their last four games they are in the Premier League, irrespective of anything Fulham or Villa manage. ■ Norwich v Cardiff: Sport Wales pullout