MATCH THREAD ' CARDIFF CITY v READING ' MATCH THREAD

CARDIFF CITY V READING
Saturday 29th November
Cardiff City Stadium
7.45pm


CARDIFF CITY TEAM
Marshall
Connolly Turner Morrison Brayford
Noone Gunnarsson Whittingham Pilkington
Macheda Le Fondre

Moore
Manga
Fabio
Adeyemi
Daehli
Ravel
Jones

reading.png

" YOU CAN PAY ON THE NIGHT "

Updated Daily ' CARDIFF CITY '

UPDATED Thursday 20th Nov 2014
Cardiff City

Cardiff boss Russell Slade has a full squad to choose from.

The Bluebirds are injury free and Slade is not expected to make too many changes from the side that drew 0-0 at Birmingham before the international break.

Fabio is likely to come in at left-back, however, to replace Matthew Connolly.

Left winger Anthony Pilkington did return from his stint with the Republic of Ireland with a slight calf strain, but it not thought to be serious enough to see him miss out.

Striker Kenwyne Jones and centre-back Bruno Manga, who have been away on international duty for Trinidad & Tobago and Gabon respectively, are expected to be on the bench.

That means there will be starts for former Royals pair Adam Le Fondre and Sean Morrison.


' TEAM NEWS '

Anthony Pilkington picked up a strain, Kenwyne Jones was away until Thursday, Bruno Ecuele Manga missed out for Gabon with injury and Mats Daehli played for Norway despite recent injury problems.




Russell Slade will be sticking to the same side that drew at Birmingham, minus Manga who is involved in the African Cup.

Under Russell Slade Cardiff have won their last 3 home games in a row

Cardiff City will be without Bruno Manga for up to a month as Gabon qualify for Africa Cup of Nation.

Reading will be up against Adam Le Fondre in Cardiff on Friday.


' READING '

Reading midfielder Hope Akpan is out for three months with a dislocated shoulder suffered on Nigeria duty.
Winger Garath McCleary (back) and defender Shaun Cummings (knee) are fit after long-term problems.


Nigel Adkins has plenty of forward options to choose from, but Simon Cox and Jamie Mackie will probably keep Pavel Pogrebnyak and Nick Blackman on the bench.

Midfielder Hope Akpan faces three months out, while Anton Ferdinand is nearing a return and trained during the international break, but is unlikely to come into the starting lineup in Wales.

Having suggested that he could terminate his loan from West Ham United, Slade is poised to again leave talented midfielder Ravel Morrison out of his squad.

Kagisho Dikgacoi is a long-term absentee, but Kenwyne Jones could be back in contention after missing two matches on compassionate leave. Bruno Manga will undergo a late fitness test on his muscle strain.


Jamaican speedster Garath McCleary has spoken to GetReading reporter Charles Watts, saying that he's ready and raring to go for the game in Cardiff after being declared fit.

Reading lost their last match at home to Charlton, over all Reading have struggled this season and are two places below City in 14th place.
Reading 8 defeats so far this season.
Royals boss Nigel Adkins has had a whole host of injury problems to deal with already this season and will now be without Akpan for the foreseeable future after he picked up the problem playing for Nigeria

Reading full back Chris Gunter says the return of winger Garath McCleary from injury is a massive boost for the side.



Possible Lineups

Cardiff City
01 Marshall
02 Brayford
06 Turner
36 Morrison
03 Fabio
19 Pilkington
17 Gunnarsson
07 Whittingham
11 Noone
14 Macheda
10 Le Fondre

Reading
1 Federici
3 Kelly
15 Hector
5 Pearce
2 Gunter
19 Mackie
23 Williams
6 Norwood
11 Obita
10 Cox
20 Murray

The Opposition

Injury blow for Reading FC as Hope Akpan dislocates shoulder
Hope Akpan dislocated his shoulder while on international duty with Nigeria.
Royals' midfielder was forced off during Saturday's 2-0 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier success against Congo.

Form - Last 5 Games

Cardiff:
Tue 21 Oct 2014 19:45 Cardiff City 3 v 1 Ipswich Town
Sat 25 Oct 2014 12:15 Millwall 1 v 0 Cardiff City
Sat 1 Nov 2014 15:00 Cardiff City 3 v 1 Leeds United
Tue 4 Nov 2014 20:00 Bolton Wanderers 3 v 0 Cardiff City
Sat 8 Nov 2014 15:00 Birmingham City 0 v 0 Cardiff City

Reading:

Tue 21 Oct 2014 19:45 AFC Bournemouth 3 v 0 Reading
Sat 25 Oct 2014 15:00 Reading 3 v 0 Blackpool
Sat 1 Nov 2014 15:00 Blackburn Rovers 3 v 1 Reading
Tue 4 Nov 2014 20:00 Reading 3 v 0 Rotherham United
Sat 8 Nov 2014 15:00 Reading 0 v 1 Charlton Athletic

Last 5 meetings

01 Feb 2011 Cardiff City v Reading D 2-2 League Championship
13 May 2011 Reading v Cardiff City D 0-0 League Championship Play-Offs
17 May 2011 Cardiff City v Reading L 0-3 League Championship Play-Offs
19 Nov 2011 Reading v Cardiff City W 1-2 League Championship
02 Jan 2012 Cardiff City v Reading W 3-1 League Championship


Match Odds
Click here for full odds

Cardiff 21/20
Draw 11/5
Reading 21/10

Tickets


Tickets on sale:
http://www.eticketing.co.uk/cardiffcity
0845 345 1400


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Further minutes for Royals duo

Monday 17/11/14

Garath McCleary and Shaun Cummings got more crucial game time on Saturday, and both could be considered for Cardiff.

Both played in a friendly game with Oxford on Tuesday night at Hogwood, managing to get 45 minutes. However, the duo got a very good 70 minutes under their belts at a behind-closed-doors in-house fixture at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday, with no injury problems.

Our next game is this coming Friday at Cardiff City and fans are calling for McCleary to be involved, which in all likelihood he should be, albeit from the bench. The former Forest winger is yet to play any football this season, after having a back operation in July.

Cummings has not played since the Capital One Cup game at Scunthorpe in August, so will have more of a chance of starting than McCleary. If he would have been fit, I would put Cummings in instead of Gunter during his dry spell, but it should hopefully keep him on his toes.

City 3 Reading 1

Cardiff City will be without Bruno Manga for up to a month as Gabon qualify for Africa Cup of Nation

Reading full back Chris Gunter says the return of winger Garath McCleary from injury is a massive boost for the side.

McCleary suffered a back injury during the end of last season, which he played through, and went under the knife for surgery on it during the summer. Reading had a massive injury list at the beginning of the season, which is only now beginning to lift.

The Jamaican winger was very important last season for Reading getting twelve assists and scoring some vital goals.

Best friend Chris Gunter knows just how good the Jamaican is after working on the same side with him at Nottingham Forest and Reading and says it’s ‘great to see him back’.

Gunter told Get Reading: “It’ll be great to see him back.

“I know he’s been gutted to miss the first part of the season.

“We’ve had a boost on the training ground in recent weeks because we’ve had people like Anton Ferdinand and Danny Williams come back in the group.

“So to get Garath back as well now will be good for us. You don’t need me to tell you how good a player he is.

“The sooner he can come back firing, the better it will be for us.”

Royals boss Nigel Adkins has had a whole host of injury problems to deal with already this season and will now be without Akpan for the foreseeable future after he picked up the problem playing for Nigeria. The 23-year-old had to be substituted during the African champions' Africa Cup of Nations qualifier with DR Congo and Nigeria's medical staff expect him to be sidelined for at least the next two weeks. Nigeria's team doctor Ibrahim Gyaran said: "Though the injury is not too serious, it will take him at least two weeks to recover, including the rehabilitation period before returning to action." Meanwhile, there is better news on winger Garath McCleary as he closes in on his return to the Reading first-team having missed the entire campaign so far. McCleary took part in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the weekend and could be in the squad for Friday's Championship game with Cardiff.

Read more at: https://www.clubcall.com/championship/r ... 47769.html?

Reading lost their last match at home to Charlton, over all Reading have struggled this season and are two places below City in 14th place.

Reading 8 defeats so far this season.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=145418

2-0 city

2 1 reading

ADY WILLIAMS: Reading FC need to come back from the international break with a bang
Nov 18, 2014

Royals legend Ady Williams looks ahead to two 'massive' games in his latest column, exclusive to getreading.co.uk

Reading will be up against Adam Le Fondre in Cardiff on Friday.

Once again we find ourselves talking about the next two games being massive, Cardiff this Friday, then away to Norwich.

Both sides are just above us in the Championship table and so far we have all underachieved in my opinion.

Of course these games aren't must win, but we do need to start picking up points. More importantly for me, we have to start looking like beating mid-table sides.

Fixtures against Sheffield Wednesday, Brentford, Charlton and Huddersfield have all ended in defeat and those are 12 points that have got away.

We go to Cardiff on Friday and will be up against two former players, Adam Le Fondre and Sean Morrison.

Both gave everything for the Berkshire club and both are top quality Championship players.

Sometimes in football money does talk, in fact most times in football money talks and so the club 'cashed' in on the pair.

What price at the bookies it comes back to haunt us on Friday evening?

We are all aware of the goals conceded this season, the boss and the players will be working to correct this during training and hopefully we will see it take effect sooner rather than later.

It's not just defending that is a worry though, we have to look at the other end of the pitch as well.

I'm not sure eight goals scored in the last eight games is good enough either. All of a sudden the chances seem to be drying up.

One player that will certainly help that situation is Garath McCleary.

The flying winger has been out all season but is now somewhere up to full speed.

It would be unfair to say he's the answer, but I do feel he's such a big player for the club and he will make an immediate difference.

Someone with his pace and power is a huge bonus to have in your ranks.

Plus Cardiff and Norwich will all of a sudden come up against a player that can not only beat a man, but can deliver a quality ball in the box.

That is something we have been missing for long periods of the season.

Also the likes of Glenn Murray, Simon Cox, Pavel Pogrebnyak and Jamie Mackie will benefit from this and will without doubt score more goals.

2-0 City

3-0 Cardiff.

I don´t have the best feeling, to be honest. I´m worried about the unity of the squad and the motivation within the group. 1-1.

Former Cardiff City defender Chris Gunter set to switch flanks as he takes on the Bluebirds with Reading on Friday

Former Bluebird Chris Gunter moves from his Welsh international right-back berth to the left flank when he faces his boyhood idols at Cardiff City Stadium on Friday evening.

Newport-born Gunter was outstanding for Wales on the right of defence during their impressive goalless European Championship qualifier in Belgium and now he’s focused on a different role for Reading at Cardiff.

The Royals captain has played the last two Championship matches at left-back and looks set to stay there against the team he supported as a schoolboy and spent almost a decade playing for at Academy, reserve and first team levels.

Gunter moved left, opening the way for Stephen Kelly’s return in his last two club matches. That means Gunter has the task of trying to tame lively right-winger Craig Noone, but the Reading man insists he has had no trouble adapting to life on the left of defence.

“I’ve played there quite a lot during my career,” said Gunter. “I made my first couple of appearances for Spurs at left-back in the Premier League and my first 10 caps for Wales were at left-back or left-wing back.

“It’s something I have done before and I simply adapt as best as I can.”

Gunter was a season ticket holder and a regular on away trips as he grew up, boarding Cardiff City Supporters Club coaches at High Cross, in Newport, just off the M4.

“My brother, Mark, and I travelled together with the Supporters Club and I loved it,” says Gunter, who would travel on the ‘pop and crisps’ bus.
“I really enjoyed being among the fans and I missed that side of things for a long time after I made the Cardiff first team.

“Graham Kavanagh and Robert Earnshaw were among my favourite players back then.”

It's my birthday on Sunday so hoping for an early present!

Cardiff 3-1 Reading
Jones x 2
Pilkington

McCleary fit for Cardiff
By The Tilehurst End News Desk on Nov 19 2014.



The star winger told GetReading he's fit for the Cardiff game on Friday.


Jamaican speedster Garath McCleary has spoken to GetReading reporter Charles Watts, saying that he's ready and raring to go for the game in Cardiff after being declared fit.

McCleary has played two behind-closed-doors friendlies (completing 45 then 70 minutes) during the international break, and having come through unscathed has been given the all clear to face Cardiff.

He hasn't played a game for the Royals since the 2-2 draw against Burnley on the final game of the 2013/14 season.

He told GetReading:

"I'm fit and ready.

"It was good to get the two games in. I came through them unscathed so hopefully I'm in contention for Cardiff on Friday.

"If selected, either from the bench or in the starting line-up, I will give my all.

"It's not been easy.

"All I've wanted to do is get back out there and play football.

"It's something I've always done, so to not be able to do it for six months has been horrible.

"But I'm back now and I will do everything I can to help get this team up the table."

McCleary contributed five goals and 15 assists from the wing last season, and he's hoping he can return to the fold in the same sort of form that saw him become a key player for Nigel Adkins' side.

"I just hope I can come back and give similar performances to the ones at the end of last season."

"I wanted to play before I got the all clear.

"But without knowing 100 per cent that everything was okay, I would still have had the worry in the back of my mind that a jolt could give me a problem at any point.

"To have the all clear means I can go into the games with 100-per-cent focus and not have to worry about my back one bit.

"It's great to know there isn't a problem any more and the fracture is completely healed."

Meanwhile, stand-in skipper Chris Gunter has hailed McCleary's impact and hopes his return will give the dejected Royals a boost.

He told GetReading:

"It'll be great to see him back.

"I know he's been gutted to miss the first part of the season.

"We've had a boost on the training ground in recent weeks because we've had people like Anton Ferdinand and Danny Williams come back in the group.

"So to get Garath back as well now will be good for us. You don't need me to tell you how good a player he is.

"The sooner he can come back firing, the better it will be for us."

Former Cardiff City defender Chris Gunter set to switch flanks as he takes on the Bluebirds with Reading on Friday

By Terry Phillips

Gunter is full of confidence after playing the full 90 minutes for Wales in their 0-0 draw with Belgium


Former Bluebird Chris Gunter moves from his Welsh international right-back berth to the left flank when he faces his boyhood idols at Cardiff City Stadium on Friday evening.

Newport-born Gunter was outstanding for Wales on the right of defence during their impressive goalless European Championship qualifier in Belgium and now he’s focused on a different role for Reading at Cardiff.

The Royals captain has played the last two Championship matches at left-back and looks set to stay there against the team he supported as a schoolboy and spent almost a decade playing for at Academy, reserve and first team levels.

Gunter moved left, opening the way for Stephen Kelly’s return in his last two club matches. That means Gunter has the task of trying to tame lively right-winger Craig Noone, but the Reading man insists he has had no trouble adapting to life on the left of defence.

“I’ve played there quite a lot during my career,” said Gunter. “I made my first couple of appearances for Spurs at left-back in the Premier League and my first 10 caps for Wales were at left-back or left-wing back.

“It’s something I have done before and I simply adapt as best as I can.”

Gunter was a season ticket holder and a regular on away trips as he grew up, boarding Cardiff City Supporters Club coaches at High Cross, in Newport, just off the M4.

“My brother, Mark, and I travelled together with the Supporters Club and I loved it,” says Gunter, who would travel on the ‘pop and crisps’ bus.

“I really enjoyed being among the fans and I missed that side of things for a long time after I made the Cardiff first team.

“Graham Kavanagh and Robert Earnshaw were among my favourite players back then.”



Gunter, 25, is one of three ever-present Reading players in Championship fixtures this season along with midfield player Jordan Obita and central defender Alex Pearce.

He will face a Cardiff team likely to include close pal Adam Le Fondre, who has started in all six matches since Russell Slade became boss of the Bluebirds.

Le Fondre has yet to score in the new regime, but both Slade and Gunter have faith in the hitman.

“It won’t be long before he’s a proper Cardiff fans favourite,” says Gunter. “Create one or two chances and you are guaranteed he’ll take one. He is a natural goalscorer.

“During the two seasons I was with him at Reading he was brilliant for us. He seems to get into double figures in every season.

“I get on really well with Alfie and it was really sad to see him leave us. He’s certainly Cardiff’s gain.”

Huw Evans AgencyChris Gunter in action for Cardiff City in 2007
Reading could have centre-half Anton Ferdinand and winger Garath McCleary available on Friday night. They have made only one first team appearance for Reading between them this season, but are back in full training.

Ferdinand started in Reading’s 3-0 home win against Rotherham, but sustained a recurrence of a hamstring injury and stayed off at half-time.

McCleary has been ruled out by a back injury, but has played in two friendlies and now looks set to return.

Manager Nigel Adkins will set up his Reading team in a 4-4-1-1 system with Glenn Murray leading the attack just in front of Simon Cox.

Slade’s Bluebirds will virtually reflect that and the big selection questions are in defence. He must select two from Ben Turner, who was outstanding during the goalless draw at Birmingham City, Sean Morrison and Bruno Manga, who is with the Gabon squad in Africa.

Possible teams:

Cardiff City: Marshall (capt); Brayford, Turner, Morrison, Fabio; Noone, Gunnarsson, Whittingham, Pilkington; Macheda, Le Fondre.

Reading: Federici; Kelly, Pearce, Hector, Gunter (capt); McCleary, Norwood, Williams, Obita; Cox, Murray.

heading into their Championship encounter on Friday.

The Bluebirds have risen to 12th in the table since the appointment of Russell Slade as manager, but have failed to win or score in their previous two matches.

Reading sit two points and two places below them having struggled for consistency all season.

The Royals strung together three successive wins at the start of the campaign, but have failed to go two games without defeat since and lost at home to Charlton Athletic a fortnight ago.

Nigel Adkins has plenty of forward options to choose from, but Simon Cox and Jamie Mackie will probably keep Pavel Pogrebnyak and Nick Blackman on the bench.

Midfielder Hope Akpan faces three months out, while Anton Ferdinand is nearing a return and trained during the international break, but is unlikely to come into the starting lineup in Wales.

Having suggested that he could terminate his loan from West Ham United, Slade is poised to again leave talented midfielder Ravel Morrison out of his squad.

Kagisho Dikgacoi is a long-term absentee, but Kenwyne Jones could be back in contention after missing two matches on compassionate leave. Bruno Manga will undergo a late fitness test on his muscle strain.

Former Reading poacher Adam Le Fondre should be selected in a home XI that will include David Marshall and Anthony Pilkington, who were involved for Scotland and the Republic of Ireland respectively in the week.

Garath McCleary: ‘I’m fit and ready for Cardiff’
BY CHARLIE FIRTH ⋅ NOVEMBER 19, 2014 ⋅ POST A COMMENT
Reading winger Garath McCleary says he’s fit and ready to face Cardiff City on Friday.
McCleary underwent surgery over the summer after suffering a back injury during the end of last season, meaning he has missed all of the action this campaign.

The Jamaican star has not featured in the Reading squad this season and will be a massive boost for the Nigel Adkins’ out of form Royals.

During the international break McCleary featured in two behind closed doors games and told Get Reading: “It was good to get the two games in. I came through them unscathed so hopefully I’m in contention for Cardiff on Friday.

“If selected, either from the bench or in the starting line-up, I will give my all.

“It’s not been easy. All I’ve wanted to do is get back out there and play football.

“It’s something I’ve always done, so to not be able to do it for six months has been horrible.

“But I’m back now and I will do everything I can to help get this team up the table.”

READING


Nigel Adkins has plenty of forward options to choose from, but Simon Cox and Jamie Mackie will probably keep Pavel Pogrebnyak and Nick Blackman on the bench.

Midfielder Hope Akpan faces three months out, while Anton Ferdinand is nearing a return and trained during the international break, but is unlikely to come into the starting lineup in Wales.

Having suggested that he could terminate his loan from West Ham United, Slade is poised to again leave talented midfielder Ravel Morrison out of his squad.

Kagisho Dikgacoi is a long-term absentee, but Kenwyne Jones could be back in contention after missing two matches on compassionate leave. Bruno Manga will undergo a late fitness test on his muscle strain.

City 2-0 Reading

TEAM NEWS

Anthony Pilkington picked up a strain, Kenwyne Jones was away until Thursday, Bruno Ecuele Manga missed out for Gabon with injury and Mats Daehli played for Norway despite recent injury problems.

Reading midfielder Hope Akpan is out for three months with a dislocated shoulder suffered on Nigeria duty.
Winger Garath McCleary (back) and defender Shaun Cummings (knee) are fit after long-term problems.

Reading

Garath McCleary could feature for the first time this season for Reading.

Royals winger is in the squad having finally recovered from back surgery in the summer to mend a fractured vertebra.

Full-back Shaun Cummings is also in the squad for the first time since injuring his knee in the Capital One Cup tie at Scunthorpe in August.

Defender Anton Ferdinand misses out with a calf injury, while skipper Jem Karacan continues to remained sidelined following surgery to fix a ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Hope Akpan is facing three months out after dislocating his shoulder while on international duty for Nigeria.

Young attacker Craig Tanner is also out with a knee problem.

Cardiff City

Cardiff boss Russell Slade has a full squad to choose from.

The Bluebirds are injury free and Slade is not expected to make too many changes from the side that drew 0-0 at Birmingham before the international break.

Fabio is likely to come in at left-back, however, to replace Matthew Connolly.

Left winger Anthony Pilkington did return from his stint with the Republic of Ireland with a slight calf strain, but it not thought to be serious enough to see him miss out.

Striker Kenwyne Jones and centre-back Bruno Manga, who have been away on international duty for Trinidad & Tobago and Gabon respectively, are expected to be on the bench.

That means there will be starts for former Royals pair Adam Le Fondre and Sean Morrison.

Got to get something out of this game

SKY CHAMPIONSHIP

Cardiff must assess the condition of their international players before manager Russell Slade names his squad for the Sky Bet Championship home game with Reading on Friday.

Wideman Anthony Pilkington picked up a slight strain while on Republic of Ireland duty and striker Kenwyne Jones did not arrive back in Wales until Thursday afternoon after playing for Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean Cup final against Jamaica.

Central defender Bruno Ecuele Manga did not play for Gabon in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers during the international break after picking up a calf injury at Bolton on November 4 but he did travel to Africa where he was assessed by his international federation and Mats Daehli also saw limited game-time for Norway.

Cardiff manager Russell Slade said: "It's a little frustrating when we say you have to wait seven or 10 days for this one and four or five days for that one and they're still looked at."

Reading midfielder Hope Akpan will miss out after suffering a disclocated shoulder while on international duty with Nigeria which will rule him out for three months.

Boss Nigel Adkins is also without defender Anton Ferdinand, who is still recovering from the calf injury he sustained on his debut earlier this month.

Midfielders Jem Karacan and Danny Williams remain sidelined by knee injuries but Adkins is set to welcome back two long-term absentees.

Winger Garath McCleary will travel after recovering from the back surgery he underwent over the summer and defender Shaun Cummings is also fit after three months out with a knee injury.

Reading full back Stephen Kelly has admitted to Get Reading that all the Royals players were ‘shocked’ when centre back Sean Morrison joined Cardiff City.

Morrison will play his old side tomorrow evening as Reading travel to Cardiff. Cardiff bought Morrison for £4 million during the summer along with Reading striker Adam Le Fondre, who signed for £2.5 million.

The move left many Reading fans upset and angry at Morrison for leaving for no apparent reason, and Kelly was just as surprised as everyone else.

Kelly told Get Reading: “It was a shock at the time because no-one expected it.

“It came as a bit of a bolt out of the blue for everybody. But that’s football. People come and go. Teams see someone they like and they try and take them.

“The club obviously saw it as the right decision and it was the right decision for Morro at the time. That’s football, you just have to get on with it.

The Royals are struggling defensively this year after an inconsistent season, which see’s the club languishing in a mediocre mid-table position in the Sky Bet Championship.

“We brought Anton Ferdinand in, he’s an immediate replacement for Morro but unfortunately he’s picked up an injury, Kelly added.

“Pearcey (Alex Pearce) and Heccy (Michael Hector) have done well at times. There’s young Jake Cooper as well.

“So we’ve got people who can play there.”

I hate playing against Welsh Internationals and Reading have a few and have had loads in the past.

Cardiff City FC v Reading FC - I've told Sean Morrison to keep away, jokes Garath McCleary
Nov 21, 2014

By Charles Watts

Royals’ winger is hoping to make his return after six months out this evening following surgery to correct a fractured vertebra in his back during the summer


Garath McCleary knows only too well the physical challenge that could lie in wait for him tonight at the Cardiff City Stadium (7.45pm kick-off).

Royals’ winger is hoping to make his return after six months out this evening following surgery to correct a fractured vertebra in his back during the summer.

But if the 27-year-old does make it on to the pitch in south Wales, he will be going head to head with Sean Morrison, a defender he knows all about.

The powerful centre-back spent three years at Reading before making a shock switch to the Bluebirds in August.



And while he and McCleary remain close, the Jamaica international doesn’t expect his good mate ‘Morro’ to go easy on him.

“I’ve already told him to keep away,” joked McCleary, who returned to action for the first time since May during a behind-closed-doors friendly against Oxford United last Tuesday.

“Sean a very good centre-back and he’s a good friend.

“We’ve been in contact quite a bit since he left but he won’t be taking it easy on me or any of us.

Adam Le Fondre and Garath McCleary were a lethal partnership.
“He’ll want to win the game as much as we do.

“I’ll be doing my very best to get one over him.”

It’s not just Morrison who will be enjoying a reunion with his former team-mates this evening, Adam Le Fondre will also be facing Reading for the first time since leaving Madejski Stadium in May.

The striker has yet to hit top form with Cardiff, scoring just once, but McCleary knows exactly how dangerous the 27-year-old can be.

“Alfie scores goals,” he said.



“He’s a good friend of mine and I’m sure he’ll be relishing the game.

“I spoke to him not too long ago. We’ve kept in contact quite a bit, as have me and Sean.

“It will be interesting to play against them. We’ve done it in training so we know what they are about.

“It will be good to see them but when we get to the game itself, there definitely will be no friends out there.”

Cant fail to win this tonight, we are on a high at home and we even took Readings best players of them, Come on you Mighty Bluebirds

Anyone can beat anyone in this league, sorry lads not confident. City 1 Reading 3.