Cardiff City will be looking to make it three wins from three in pre-season when they travel to League One outfit Cheltenham Town on Saturday.
The visitors have undergone a significant turnover in players amongst their first-team squad this summer ahead of their Championship campaign, whilst the visitors have continued to build on an excellent season last time round.
Match preview
© Reuters
Cheltenham returned to League One for the first time in 12 years last season, and after finishing 15th, 16 points above the drop zone, the club are hoping to enjoy another solid year when the 2022-23 campaign gets underway on July 30.
Wade Elliott's side face a tough test against recently-relegated Peterborough United on the opening day, and in preparation for that season opener, they have endured a mixed return of results during the summer so far.
An expected comfortable victory over non-league outfit Evesham United got things off to a solid start on July 4, before a tough trip to Championship side Bristol City ended in defeat.
Amateur side Bath City then held the Robins to a goalless draw, but Cheltenham got back to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over minnows Stratford Town on Tuesday.
Dylan Barkers hauled Cheltenham level after going a goal behind during a shaky start to the warm-up encounter, before Dan Nlundulu tapped in the winning goal shortly after the break, but Elliott is aware of his side's need to improve upon the hosting of a physical test against second-tier Cardiff on Saturday.
© Reuters
Meanwhile, as mentioned above, Cardiff have won each of their two opening pre-season fixtures so far this summer.
Steve Morison's side first saw off League One side Cambridge United by a thrilling 3-2 scoreline in their first friendly of the preparations, before defeating League Two outfit Newport County 2-0 on Tuesday.
The Bluebirds were on the front foot for much of the encounter, which was an open game with plenty of opportunities created by both sides, with several nervy moments in the defensive third too.
However, their quality shone through eventually and academy product James Crole proved key off the bench, with the youngster first setting up Gavin Whyte for the opener 13 minutes from time, before getting on the scoresheet himself just five minutes later to seal the win.
City have brought in a remarkable 11 players already during the transfer window, as Morison looks to revamp an ageing squad that proved too reliant on defensive football and set-pieces for much of last season.
The inexperienced boss is getting set for his first full season in management in the 2022-23 campaign, which gets underway with the hosting of recently-relegated Norwich City on July 30.
- W
- L
- D
- W
- W
- W
Team News
© Reuters
Fresh from his return to the club on a season-long loan deal from Wolverhampton Wanderers on Thursday, Taylor Perry is in line for his second debut for Cheltenham on Saturday.
The central midfielder impressed with the Robins last season before having his stay cut short due to injury, but the loanee is available to make an impact again against Cardiff.
Alfie May continues to recover from injury, but whilst he is likely to be fit for the start of the season, he looks unlikely to play a part on Saturday, whilst the same can be said about Matty Blair too.
As for the visitors, several new signings, including Romaine Sawyers and Sheyi Ojo, await their debuts for Cardiff, which could come on Saturday.
One summer recruit however, Ebou Adams, remains a doubt due to the shoulder injury that kept him out of Tuesday's win.
James Collins completed a move to Derby County on Wednesday, paving the way for Crole to potentially earn a starting spot ahead of Max Watters following his impressive performance off the bench against Newport.
Cheltenham Town possible starting lineup:
Harris; Long, Freestone, Raglan; Gyamfi, Barkers, Perry, Chapman, Hutchinson; Ebanks, Nlundulu
Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Allsop; Daley-Campbell, McGuinness, Denham, Collins; King, Wintle, Sawyers; Tanner, Crole, Ojo
We say: Cheltenham Town 1-2 Cardiff City
Cardiff look to be revitalised by new signings and academy products during pre-season so far, and we can see them continuing their positive summer with a third consecutive win on Saturday.
Cheltenham will be a tough side to break down and should perform impressively to make it a competitive contest, but the visitors' extra quality should shine through.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
