Cardiff fans will have been disappointed by the Arsenal postponement in midweek, but it's back to league action this Saturday as we travel to Charlton, weather permitting of course. Simon Glanville previews the game, in which City will be looking to make it three Championship wins in a row.
Cardiff team news: Dave Jones will be without Hungarian defender Gabor Gyepes for the trip to Charlton. The centre-back, who has formed a strong partnership with Roger Johnson over the last few months, is likely to be out for three weeks. Darren Purse will get his chance to stake a claim for a more regular starting berth.
New signings Michael Chopra and Quincy Owusu-Abeyie go straight into the squad, which is beginning to look one of the strongest Cardiff sides in years.
Charlton team news: Charlton will have new signings Tresor Kandol and Darren Ward available for the visit of the Bluebirds. Kandol, a striker on loan from Leeds, and Ward, a defender on loan from Wolves, both started at Bristol City in midweek and are likely to continue on Saturday.
Graeme Murty has also extended his loan stay from Reading, but Andy Gray and Jonthan Fortune have been ruled out for the rest of the season.
Kelly Youga will return to the swuad after serving a one match suspension in midweek, while Mark Hudson will be hoping to shake off a hip injury.
Preview the Charlton game and more besides, right now in the Official Cardiff CIty Podcast episode ten
Charlton's season so far: Tipped for promotion at the beginning of the season, Charlton have failed miserably to live up to expectation. The Addicks, who only came down from the Premier League in 2007, sit bottom of the Championship going into this weekend's fixtures.
Their terrible form saw Alan Pardew lose his job in late November, and caretaker boss Phil Parkinson was awarded the job on a temporary basis, despite no wins in his first eight games in charge.
A club record of 18 games without a league win recently followed, but that duck was finally ended when a 1-0 win was achieved over Crystal Palace. Two defeats have followed though, leaving Parkinson with a huge task, as his team are currently six points adrift at the bottom of the division and nine points from safety.
Last meeting: We will travel to London aiming for a league double, after we defeated the Addicks at Ninian Park back in October. Ross McCormack was at the double to give us another win, in a game that also saw Charlton defender Mark Hudson sent off, midway through the second half.
Teams from last meeting at Ninian Park on 18th October 2008:
Bluebirds: Heaton, McNaughton, Purse, Roger Johnson, Kennedy, Rae, Whittingham, McPhail, Parry (Comminges 84), Bothroyd (Eddie Johnson 89), McCormack. Subs not used: Enckelman, Gyepes, Blake.
Charlton: Weaver, Youga, Hudson (sent off 67), Cranie (Semedo 46), Primus, Bailey, Holland, Ambrose (Sam 84), Bouazza, Gray (Basey 68), Varney. Subs not used: Elliot Todorov.
Attendance: 17,310
Charlton last time out: While many games fell to the weather in midweek, Charlton's game at Bristol City went ahead, although they'll now be wishing it hadn't. It was looking good for the visitors when Tom Soares put them ahead with a brave header, but a second-half double from Dele Adebola turned the game on its head and meant Charlton left Ashton Gate with nothing more than pride.
Charlton: Elliot, Murty (Ambrose 74), Holland, Ward, Basey, Soares (Moutaouakil 79), Racon (Sam 74), Spring, Bailey, Dickson, Kandol. Subs not used: Randolph, Burton.
