' Key City Player In Race to return for Forest Game '

Tuesday 14th Oct 2014

BLUEBIRDS defender Bruno Manga faces a journey of 3,000 miles back to Cardiff after playing for Gabon in Wednesday’s African Cup of Nations qualifier against Burkina Faso.

Centre-half Manga, who was taken off after 86 minutes of Gabon’s 2-0 home win in the first leg on Friday, is expected to be fit for the return in Ouagadougou.

Manga will then leave Africa, starting his flight back to the UK on Thursday morning, before reporting back for training with the Bluebirds at their Vale of Glamorgan Resort headquarters on Friday.

City’s summer signing has adapted to Championship football with Cardiff remarkably well, having been signed from French club Lorient in a £3m transfer, and is expected to start against Nottingham Forest at home on Saturday.

Gabon have played three qualifying matches, winning 1-0 against Angola, 2-0 against Burkina and drawing 1-1 against Lesotho.

If Gabon do qualify for the finals in Morocco, Manga will miss a number of the Bluebirds fixtures in early 2015.

The finals, which have been confirmed despite the outbreak of Ebola on the continent, run from January 17 to February 8 and the City matches Manga could miss during that period are Norwich (away), Middlesbrough (away), Derby (home), Sheffield Wednesday (away) and Brighton (home).

I think last paragraph is also a concern !!

"If Gabon do qualify for the finals in Morocco, Manga will miss a number of the Bluebirds fixtures in early 2015.

The finals, which have been confirmed despite the outbreak of Ebola on the continent, run from January 17 to February 8 and the City matches Manga could miss during that period are Norwich (away), Middlesbrough (away), Derby (home), Sheffield Wednesday (away) and Brighton (home)."

I think last paragraph is also a concern !!

"If Gabon do qualify for the finals in Morocco, Manga will miss a number of the Bluebirds fixtures in early 2015.

The finals, which have been confirmed despite the outbreak of Ebola on the continent, run from January 17 to February 8 and the City matches Manga could miss during that period are Norwich (away), Middlesbrough (away), Derby (home), Sheffield Wednesday (away) and Brighton (home)."

Which part of that last paragraph concerns you ... the fact that he could miss up to 5 games or playing on a continent that has an outbreak of Ebola?

I think last paragraph is also a concern !!

"If Gabon do qualify for the finals in Morocco, Manga will miss a number of the Bluebirds fixtures in early 2015.

The finals, which have been confirmed despite the outbreak of Ebola on the continent, run from January 17 to February 8 and the City matches Manga could miss during that period are Norwich (away), Middlesbrough (away), Derby (home), Sheffield Wednesday (away) and Brighton (home)."

Which part of that last paragraph concerns you ... the fact that he could miss up to 5 games or playing on a continent that has an outbreak of Ebola?

Both

When a club signs a player like Manga they know the situation concerning the Africa cup in January in advance so it's a matter of just getting on with things.

I think what's more concerning is that a statement given out this morning says that if the Ebola outbreak isn't contained in the next few weeks it could become a worldwide epidemic.

Ebola first and foremost, I think playing tournament will be reviewed nearer time.

Ebola first and foremost, I think playing tournament will be reviewed nearer time.

I agree. If it escalates it will have to be cancelled.

Cheers Mike