by Simon Glanville
After a disappointing defeat at Barnsley last weekend, Cardiff City will be looking to get their season back on track when Roy Keane's struggling Ipswich Town are the visitors to Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday. Simon Glanville has the facts ahead of the game.
Cardiff team news: Adam Matthews has declared himself fit for Sunday's game with Ipswich, after missing the Barnsley fixture through injury. Matthews may well come back in for Kevin McNaughton, who is facing a short spell on the sidelines after injuring his hamstring during his first start of the season against the Tykes.
Jay Bothroyd and Anthony Gerrard are expected to join Matthews in making themselves available after niggles of their own, whilst Kelvin Etuhu is edging closer to a return and may be back in action over the next few weeks.
Ipswich team news: Alex Bruce is a major doubt for Ipswich after the defender was forced off in the Tractor Boys' latest game at Sheffield Wednesday, after suffering a reoccurrence of a groin problem.
'Keeper Asmir Begovic has been recalled by his parent club Portsmouth, leaving Keane short in the goalkeeping department. Owen Garvan is likely to be involved again after finally getting his chance in the game against Sheffield Wednesday, his first appearance in three months.
Stern John is expected to be a late addition to Keane's squad on Sunday after signing for the Tractor Boys on a month's loan deal from Championship rivals Crystal Palace.
Ipswich's season so far: If you had listened to the pundits during pre-season, then you'd be expecting to see Roy Keane's Ipswich Town competing at the top end of the Championship table. But the pundits aren't always right, and unfortunately for the Tractor Boys, their early season predictions couldn't have been much wider of the mark.
The club had to wait until the end of October to get their first league win, which came when they saw off Derby at Portman Road. But that victory hasn't kick started their season as many expected it would, and they have yet to win since, after draws with Reading and Sheffield Wednesday. Keane's side has just thirteen points from seventeen matches, and sit second-bottom in the table.
Last meeting: Ipswich spoiled the Ninian Park farewell the last time we met them, in what was Roy Keane's first game in charge of the Tractor Boys and the last ever Cardiff City game at Ninian Park. Keane enjoyed a fantastic afternoon after goals from Pablo Counago, David Norris and Jon Stead saw his side to a comfortable 3-0 victory.
Teams from last meeting at Ninian Park on 25th April 2009:
Bluebirds: Heaton, McNaughton, Gyepes, Roger Johnson, Kennedy, Rae (Eddie Johnson 76), Parry (McPhail 59), Ledley, Burke, Bothroyd, McCormack (Chopra 58). Subs not used: Purse, Comminges.
Ipswich: Richard Wright, Bruce (Stead 27), Balkestein, Campo, Richards, Garvan, Norris, Peters (Quinn 72), Giovani, Lisbie, Counago (Haynes 57). Subs not used: Bialkowski, Miller.
Attendance: 19,129.
Ipswich last time out: The Tractor Boys' frustrating season continued last weekend after Sheffield Wednesday left Portman Road with a point at the end of a goalless stalemate. Ipswich had been the better side, but Lee Grant in the Wednesday goal was up to everything that was thrown at him.
Ipswich Town v Sheffield Wednesday: Grant, Hinds, Buxton, Simek, Gray, Spurr, Johnson (Clarke 61), Potter, O'Connor, Tudgay, Varney. Subs not used: Purse, Jeffers, McAllister, Esajas, O'Donnell, Beevers.
