'Not nice' - Cardiff boss Bulut reveals extent of staggering injury crisis for Saints - Yahoo Sport
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'Not nice' - Cardiff boss Bulut reveals extent of staggering injury crisis for Saints

Alfie House
·2-min read
Cardiff City manager Erol Bulut has the Bluebirds in the top half of the division <i>(Image: PA)</i>
Cardiff City manager Erol Bulut has the Bluebirds in the top half of the division (Image: PA)

CARDIFF City manager Erol Bulut has revealed the extent of his side’s wretched injury crisis for the visit of Southampton.

The Bluebirds are set to be without 12 players ruled out for medical reasons as former Swansea City boss Russell Martin comes to town.

Adding to Cardiff’s injury woes are player-of-the-season candidates Perry Ng and Karlan Grant, with the former out for the rest of the season.

Jamilu Collins is also out, while Callum Robinson and Josh Bowler are ill, which means Bulut will name several academy lads in his squad.

They add to the already-injured cohort of Aaron Ramsey, Mark McGuinness, Jak Alnwick, Ryan Wintle, Josh Wilson-Esbrand and Callum O'Dowda.

Speaking ahead of the match, Bulut said: "This weekend a few will not be with us.

“Sickness, strains. Ng, a strain, for him the season is over. KG Achilles problems, he won't be with us. Maybe JC might not be with us with groin problem.

"Wintle has the problem with his ankle. The other ones, Ramsey, Alnwick, (Kion) Etete -Robinson and Josh Bowler are sick. Available players this weekend, it looks like 13 or 14.

"Today I get a report from the medical staff. Started yesterday, the sickness for Robbo and Josh. I hope tomorrow they feel better and can train with us.

"For now it looks not so well for us. So we will have four or five under-21s with us to fill the squad."

Bulut added: “I also have to say thanks to some players who played with small injuries and pains the last three or four games.

“From there you can see how much you can focus on that to get more points. At the end, some cannot push any more to help the team.

“But many players have tried really hard with small injuries, but we don't have a squad to replace players.

Cardiff sit 11th in the Championship with 59 points from 43 matches, and a one-point lead on rivals Bristol City in 12th.

However, they have lost four of their last six matches in the division with a 3-1 defeat to relegation-threatened Millwall last time out.