NOT GOOD NEWS ' BRUNO MANGA '

Monday 17th November 2014

' BRUNO MANGA '

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

Cardiff City's defensive talisman Bruno Manga will be missing from the Cardiff squad in January as the race for promotion gets serious

Cardiff City are set to be without key defender Bruno Manga for up to a month in the new year after Gabon sealed qualification for the African Cup of Nations.

The 26-year-old has established himself as an integral part of the Bluebirds defence since he signed from French side Lorient on September 1 and his absence will come as a big blow to manager Russell Slade as he looks to guide Cardiff back to promotion contention in the Championship.

Manga did not feature on Saturday as his nation fought out a 0-0 draw in Angola to confirm their progress to the tournament, but he did travel.

Gabon now play their final qualifier at home to Lesotho on Wednesday afternoon.

The centre-half has been carrying a calf injury picked up in the Bluebirds defeat at Bolton earlier this month, a problem which led him to miss Cardiff’s last outing, a 0-0 draw at Birmingham.

But now the Bluebirds will have to get used to being without Manga, who grabbed his first goal for his new side in a 3-1 win over Leeds recently, for a lot longer as he heads out to the tournament in January.

The African Cup of Nations will take place from January 17 to February 8.

Manga, who has struck up a partnership with Sean Morrison in the heart of the Bluebirds defence, will join up with his nation for training ahead of the tournament and will be away as long as Gabon remain in the competition.

The tournament, which takes place every two years, is now being held in the central African country of Equatorial Guinea after Morocco decided against acting as hosts due to fears over the Ebola epidemic currently raging on the west of the continent.

Manga, who has 41 caps for Gabon, will return to the Welsh capital later this week and will face a fitness test to see if he is ready for the Bluebirds next outing, a Friday night visit from Reading in the Skybet Championship.

Morrison and Turner then.

Turner back just at the right time then.

No big deal, we virtually knew this at the time of signing him.

Turner and connolly for me.

Let's let Turner defend only then, please don't give him the ball.

No big deal, we virtually knew this at the time of signing him.

Exactly, shame he's going for the month but we knew as you say

Turner and connolly for me.

Me too
Connolly done nothing wrong & deserves another crack!

We have a mahooooosive squad so this gives others an opportunity to earn their spurs.

Manga is a loss but it's just the way it is. C'mon Bloooooobirds!

I'm not we can cope as well as some think. For me this could be the difference between 12th and 11th

Turner, Morrison, Connoly and in emergency Gabbidon. Centre back is one position we have good cover.