' Neil Harris explains Aden Flint 'dilemma '

Neil Harris explains Aden Flint 'dilemma' and the Cardiff City, Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester City transfer ramifications

Sheffield Wednesday manager Tony Pulis poured doubt over the defender's future up at Hillsborough and Cardiff City boss Neil Harris has sought to clarify the situation

Thursday 17th December 2020



Cardiff City manager Neil Harris has admitted there is a possibility Aden Flint could be sent back for the back half of the season after he recovers from his hamstring injury.

The defender, who is currently on loan at Championship rivals Sheffield Wednesday, is back undergoing his rehabilitation with Cardiff City after sustaining a nasty hamstring tear back in October.

Flint has undergone an operation and is not expected to be back in action until at least February, which has cast doubt over his future up at Hillsborough this season.

Indeed, new Wednesday boss Tony Pulis last week admitted he was unsure whether he would even see Flint again this season, prompting questions over whether the Bluebirds would keep him for the remainder of the campaign when he returns to full fitness.

Now, Harris has revealed a conversation will have to be had in the New Year to decide whether Wednesday will want to look elsewhere in January or if Flint will be ready quickly enough to make an impact for them in the second half of the season.


NEIL HARRIS:

"Aden is not going to be fit, realistically, until into February," the Bluebirds manager said.

"Again, his professionalism to recover from injury is as good as I've seen, his drive to get fit."

"It's one where, he will stay with us for a period and it's whether he can get back on the grass quickly enough to be involved with us from January onwards, or whether Sheffield Wednesday think about extending the loan past January because he will be useful for them past January.

"That will just be an honest conversation between myself, Aden and Tony as January unfolds. At the moment, he is not close to the training pitch and won't be for a few weeks.

"Tony was right, it will be a dilemma when we get to the middle of January and we start looking at how close he is to match time again."


Cardiff only allowed Flint to leave on the proviso they were able to bring in a defender on deadline day and managed to strike up an 11th-hour deal to sign £13m Leicester City man Benkovic on loan.

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For me, it would be madness to gamble on Flint's fitness during the run in - he went on loan because he was 4th choice CB. Benkovic must be wondering what the hell is going on when both Bamba and Cunningham came on before him last night. I agree with those who say we should move Nelson to RB and put Bacuna back in the midfield. We have two very tough opponents coming up with quick, mobile strikers. Give Bennett a rest as he seems shit scared to make a tackle, bring in Cunningham or Bagan at LB and put Benkovic alongside Morrison.

For me, it would be madness to gamble on Flint's fitness during the run in - he went on loan because he was 4th choice CB. Benkovic must be wondering what the hell is going on when both Bamba and Cunningham came on before him last night. I agree with those who say we should move Nelson to RB and put Bacuna back in the midfield. We have two very tough opponents coming up with quick, mobile strikers. Give Bennett a rest as he seems shit scared to make a tackle, bring in Cunningham or Bagan at LB and put Benkovic alongside Morrison.

I couldn’t agree with you more however this is Harris we are talking about. It’s obvious to most of us that a few players need a break and others to be played in their respective positions.

Ralls will be back for Saturday but I can’t see Harris budging and he will keep it the same. It will take something drastic to change it and then he’d tell us that was what he was going to do anyway.

For me, it would be madness to gamble on Flint's fitness during the run in - he went on loan because he was 4th choice CB. Benkovic must be wondering what the hell is going on when both Bamba and Cunningham came on before him last night. I agree with those who say we should move Nelson to RB and put Bacuna back in the midfield. We have two very tough opponents coming up with quick, mobile strikers. Give Bennett a rest as he seems shit scared to make a tackle, bring in Cunningham or Bagan at LB and put Benkovic alongside Morrison.

I couldn’t agree with you more however this is Harris we are talking about. It’s obvious to most of us that a few players need a break and others to be played in their respective positions.

Ralls will be back for Saturday but I can’t see Harris budging and he will keep it the same. It will take something drastic to change it and then he’d tell us that was what he was going to do anyway.

I think you are right - these next two games are going to be really tough and we need fresh legs in a few departments, but will Harris have the bottle to do it? The old adage about not changing a winning team will no doubt play a part in his thinking, but for me this could shape our season - you don't see Klopp, Pep etc playing the same players game in, game out as they understand they need time to recover from so many games in such a short space of time.