Tue Aug 12, 2014 7:17 am
Tuesday Aug 12, 2014
By Terry Phillips
Cardiff City Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Q: What is the situation with injuries?
OGS: Peter Whittingham took a couple of bangs, but he is a good player and we know he will be targeted by opponents at times because the more time he gets, the more he can run the game. They were a couple of bad ones (v Blackburn), but he has trained. Peter won’t be playing on Wednesday, but he will be in contention for Saturday against Huddersfield and certainly for next Tuesday at home against Wigan.
I was hopeful Javi Guerra would be fit to play against Coventry, but it now looks as though that won’t be the case.
Federico Macheda, who has been able to train, is not quite ready and Kagisho Dikgacoi won’t make it either. He is coming along and hopefully he will make the Huddersfield match, but he won’t be involved at Coventry.
I will make a few changes, though, and guys like Magnus Eikrem, Joe Ralls, Kim Bo-Kyung, Declan John and Simon Moore will play. I have not decided yet whether Tom Adeyemi will start.
Craig Noone and Ben Turner are still a way off and should be back next month.
Cardiff City boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rules out move for West Ham star Ravel Morrison but hunt for new defenders continues
Q: Was Gary Medel sold on the cheap (£10m transfer to Inter Milan)?
OGS: Gary is an extremely good player. I have not been involved in negotiations and don’t know the ins and outs, but when my chairman (Mehmet Dalman) and owner (Vincent Tan) are happy with what we receive, I reckon we have got a fair price.
Medel did not have a release clause, unlike the other three (Mutch, Campbell, Caulker) and so this was a different matter. But when you get a double figure offer for a player when you are in the Championship it is about being sensible. We have a responsibility financially.
I did not really see him playing for Cardiff in the Championship this season. He is a very good player.
Q: Will any more players leave?
OGS: The window is open until September 1. I can only say if I am happy when that day has come and gone. But we have done a fair bit of business and we have a responsibility to the club and supporters that we run things sensibly. You might get an offer you cannot refuse or you might sign players you had not initially thought about. At the moment I am happy and I am looking to build on the Blackburn game.
Q: Can you confirm Joe Mason has signed for Bolton on loan?
OGS: Joe has gone on loan for the season. He signed a new contract with us first to extend his time here by a couple of years (until 2018). It is a chance for him to continue his development and get enough game time as I have four or five strikers here.
But he does have a Cardiff City future, I would not have given him a new deal if he didn’t have a future here. It is a good move for Joe. He knows Dougie Freedman, Dougie rates him.
Q: Are you still intent on bringing in new players?
OGS: We are still looking for a centre-half, but it is not about just making the numbers up. Anybody we bring in must be right one. We have Juan Cala back from suspension soon (he will miss the Coventry and Huddersfield games) and Ben Turner to come back from injury so if we add a player it needs to be the right one. We are still in talks on signing a player.
I am looking for a centre-back, I have to strengthen that area. I cannot say yes or no as to whether anybody will be in by the weekend. These things can take time. Some players are too good to say no to so they may want more time to think about things.
We have brought money in through sales, including Medel to Inter Milan, but I would not ask Vincent to spend £10m on a centre-half.
Q: There are strong rumours you are trying to sign Ravel Morrison from West Ham?
OGS: I cannot speak about the club’s players, but I can say a definite no to that one.