Article by Steve Garland
Bluebirds play-off hero Peter Whittingham has insisted that he will be fit for the Play-off final at Wembley, despite hobbling off with a groin strain during Cardiff's 4-3 penalty victory over Leicester City.
Whitts played a pivotal role in both semi final play-off legs against the Foxes, scoring a magnificent free-kick at the Walkers Stadium, before putting the Bluebirds back into contention with a sixty-ninth minute penalty to send the game to extra time.
But City's top scorer insisted that he will be ready to face Blackpool in just nine days time.
"I'm confident I'll be fit for the final," declared Whittingham. "I'll be with the physios for a few days, but we've got ten days before the final and hopefully it will all be fine. The physios are always brilliant and I'm sure it will be fine.
"I just felt my groin just after the free-kick. I should be alright, I just felt something after the free-kick and it was just precaution to take me off. We didn't really want to be carrying anyone in a predicament like that, heading into extra time, and the gaffer made the decision which I think is fair enough. I knew it was hurting and you do what is best for the team. I thought that I couldn't give 100% and I came off."
Replaced by Ross McCormack before extra time got underway, Whittingham admitted it was difficult watching from the sidelines as the game went to the lottery of penalties and was pleased that his spot kick skills were not required.
"No apparently not, the lads penalties were brilliant," laughed Whitts, "I couldn't believe it, it is obviously worse watching than it is taking them, but Marshy was brilliant and the lads who took the penalties were brilliant as well."
Whittingham proved vital for the Bluebirds at both ends of the field as he cleared Matty Fryatt's goal bound effort off the line, just three minutes before slotting home his penalty to level the aggregate score for City.
But a typical equivocal Whittingham brushed off his game saving intervention saying, "I think there was someone behind me when I cleared it off the line, so it wasn't really much of a big deal. Then I picked my spot for the penalty and luckily the keeper didn't stand there."
Indeed, the former Aston Villa midfielder was quick to turn his attentions to the match up with Blackpool at Wembley, where he could be just ninety minutes away from making his Premier League return.
But Whitts insisted that the Tangerines will be a big hurdle to overcome if both he and the team are to achieve their promotion dream, saying: "You are always going to get hard games now and obviously Blackpool have proved that they can beat Forest. It is going to be a hard game for us, but it is one that we are all really looking forward to.
"Quite a few of the lads watched it and Blackpool are a good team and you don't get to where they are without being a good team, so fair play to them. But we're looking to go to Wembley and win of course."
