Tommy Smith takes step towards full fitness

Tommy Smith has come through a high-intensity training schedule this week to move closer towards full fitness.

The former QPR and Watford midfielder has been out for almost six weeks since suffering a hamstring tear in City’s 2-1 victory over Watford on October 23.

But manager Malky Mackay said: “Tommy has been out on the training pitches working with the rehab team. He has come through a lot of individual work and this week he has been doing a lot of high-intensity work.

“When we started the week our medical team rated Tommy at between 80 to 90 per cent fit and we will have another assessment of how well he has progressed.”

Smith has made eight starts in the Championship football since joining the Bluebirds in August.

Although tomorrow’s trip to Blackburn has almost certainly come too soon for him, the 32-year-old could be in the frame for the visit of Peterborough on Saturday week.

The meeting with Darren Ferguson’s Posh is the first of five games in 18 days with matches also against Leicester (away), Crystal Palace (home), Millwall (home) and Birmingham (away) in that sequence before the FA Cup trip to either Barrow or Macclesfield on third-round weekend on January 5-6.

Young winger Kadeem Harris is also back running in training after twice suffering ankle ligament injuries.

The former Wycombe pace ace is likely to make his comeback in the under-21 development team with Mackay keen to pencil in a friendly for them in the next few weeks.

n MATT Connolly has hit a rich vein of scoring form this season and one more would match the number of goals he scored in total during spells at Bournemouth, Colchester United, Queens Park Rangers and Reading.

Defender Connolly, 25, had scored five goals in his career before signing for Cardiff City, while he has netted four times in 17 appearances this season.

“It’s been a bit of a surprise because I haven't really scored that many goals in previous seasons,” Connolly told Cardiff City Player.

“They have come when I’ve been playing right-back and centre-back. While I probably would prefer to play centre-half, I’m still really enjoying my football.

“I enjoy playing behind Craig Noone. He’s a great outlet from right-back and when you give him the ball he always seems to do something with it or win us set-pieces.

“But the main factor is the delivery from corners by Whitts. He’s put in some great balls and, although I’ve had to be in the right position, he has contributed to a lot of our goals.

“It’s been great to score, but I don’t celebrate because I didn’t expect to score as many as I have in a short space of time! I’m happy to score, but I prefer to run over and congratulate the player who set me up as opposed to turning away and celebrating on my own. It sounds like a cliché, but when the game starts, my focus is on keeping a clean sheet.”

If I can score the odd goal on top of that as well then great."



Read more: Wales Online http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballna ... z2EFakbDnJ

He actually does celebrate with Whitts when he scores and did when Bellamy set up vs Blackpool.

This probably explain why Connolly didnt celebrate the other day and he was getting slated for
It . Seems like the top buy so far!

Hes getting goals from set pieces or people setting him up, hes just doing the right thing because sometimes the person who sets up the goal doesn't get enough credit wherte its deserved.

Tommy Smith is a class player, will be a big boost when he's available for selection again.