Neil Warnock identifies the one player who could potentially affect Cardiff City's January transfer plans as injury woes stack up
Warnock believes getting Lee Tomlin back could change Cardiff’s season and also says he needs Jazz Richards to return.
Friday 1st November 2019
The Bluebirds boss is desperate for one man in particular to get a solid run of games over the next few weeks
Neil Warnock insists he's desperate to give Lee Tomlin the chance to become a Bluebirds hero, and admits he's baffled by the mysterious injury that kept the player out of Sunday's South Wales derby.
The nature of the performance, as well as the result, has seen Warnock and his players come in for heavy criticism this week, and many City fans will be itching for a reaction at home to Birmingham City on Saturday.
Having sat out that disappointing defeat, it seems Tomlin will once again play no part this weekend, with Warnock admitting he's at a loss to explain the problem.
"There’s not much light at the moment with Tomlin," he said. "He’s had an injection and although there’s nothing untoward on the scan he’s not feeling right.
"He hasn’t trained now for the best part of 10 days, so it’s difficult because he was going to be a big part against Swansea and this weekend.
“ Tomlin could change our season” said Warnock.
"But we’ve just got to get on with it."
Tomlin has struggled to fully establish himself in Warnock's first team plans since arriving in the summer of 2017, spending two loan spells away from the Welsh capital amid personal issues off the pitch.
The summer saw a fitter and sleeker Tomlin insist that he was ready to finally make himself a Bluebirds hero. But despite enjoying more game time in the first team in this campaign, there have still been lingering questions over Warnock's enthusiasm for picking the mercurial forward on a regular basis.
However, having seen his side make an indifferent start to the Championship season, Warnock insists he is desperate to give the 30-year-old a real chance to shine over the coming weeks, adding that Cardiff's January plans could well be influenced by his performances.
"I'd like to give Tomlin a run in the team really, and just if he can establish himself," he added.
"I just felt that for the first time, at Sheffield Wednesday and Millwall, I felt that we could, not get away with it, but a little bit like the QPR situation I had, we needed someone like him in that area.
"So it's disappointing that he's got this niggle.
"A lot of our January plans depend on fitness and people like Tomlin showing us what he can do."
Another man Warnock is keen to see more of over the coming weeks is full-back Jazz Richards, who has recently returned to action with the under-23s following a series of injury problems that have kept him sidelined for the best part of a year.
"He played the other night, but he's not fit enough yet," Warnock added. "We've just got to keep persevering really.
"I watch him in the day during rehabilitation and the work he puts in. It really is hard for him that as soon as he gets fit he gets a niggle here or a niggle there.
"He can't have a sustained run, which is what he wants. It would be nice to have a fit Jazz Richards available because we don't have a lot down that side.
"Pelts is restricted really and we do miss that at times.
"He just needs to sustain a number of games without getting a niggle."
Meanwhile, Cardiff will head into Saturday's clash with the Blues without striker Robert Glatzel, who's likely to be sidelined for the next couple of weeks after picking up a hamstring injury, while there are also doubts over Sol Bamba and Curtis Nelson, despite both players making good progress in their respective bids for full fitness.
Junior Hoilett has returned to light training following a hamstring, but also looks set to miss out.
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