It’s derby day three as clubs step up for return

CARDIFF City and Swansea City will meet for the third time this season ahead of the restart of the 2019/20 Championship campaign.

Neil Harris’ Bluebirds will lock horns with Steve Cooper’s Swans in a behind-closed-doors friendly fixture this weekend.

The game will take place on Saturday and has been arranged to enable the two sides to get ready for the restart of the Championship, which has been on hold since March owing to the coronavirus outbreak.

It will also give Cardiff and Swansea, who are each still firmly in the mix for promotion, the opportunity to become accustomed to a proper game with no fans ahead of the real business beginning the following weekend.

The Bluebirds and Swans are not disclosing the venue of the game, or the kick-off time, due to legitimate concerns from the police and authorities.

Harris’ men are ninth in the table, two points behind sixth-placed Preston while Cooper’s side are 11th, three points adrift of the play-off spots.

It has been confirmed that the Championship will resume on June 20, with Swansea’s first post-lockdown match coming against Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium while Cardiff face league leaders Leeds in the Welsh capital the following day.

The Welsh rivals faced off for the first time in more than five years in October, with Swansea emerging victorious at the Liberty Stadium thanks to Ben Wilmot’s first half header.

But the spoils were shared in the reverse fixture at Cardiff City Stadium in January as the Bluebirds avoided being the victims of a first league double in the fixture.

Saturday’s game is only a friendly, of course, but Cardiff and Swansea will each be keen to come out on top as they seek to head back into their Championship openers with momentum.

Meanwhile, Leeds United could be forced to fly down to the Welsh capital on the morning of their midday kick-off against Cardiff on Sunday week with the waters muddied over hotel accommodation.

It has already been a mammoth task to get the Championship campaign back up and running, but clubs are still facing sizeable logistical issues – including for away games.

Travel and accommodation remain big concerns among many clubs and with the season yet to get back into full swing, there are bound to be teething problems.

Clubs have had to adhere to strict guidelines during their return-totraining protocols, including staggered training times for small groups, undertaking two coronavirus tests per week, constant sanitising of training equipment and prohibiting players from entering buildings.

However, contact training is taking place and Cardiff City even played two, hour-long friendly matches against Cheltenham Town on Tuesday, which they won 3-1 and 2-0, as they ramp up their preparations for the season restart next weekend.

But one big question remains over the aspect of overnight accommodation, which is seen as one of the riskier aspects associated with long-distance away matches.

According to LeedsLive, the EFL has said they will not force Leeds to travel on the morning of their game with the Bluebirds and have told them that hotel accommodation is still a legitimate option.

However, the other option would be for Leeds to come on the day of the game by flying from West Yorkshire to Rhoose and then making the short journey to Cardiff City Stadium.

With players and staff staying away from their homes in lockdown and inside hotels, there was some discussion it may be seen as an unnecessary risk in the wider effort to keep transmission down.

The EFL is advising clubs hotels are permissible, but only for essential use, as in Leeds’ case with a midday kickoff four hours, by road, from Elland Road.

■ Former Bluebirds boss in frame for Birmingham job: Page 44