Dave Jones has today told cardiffcityfc.co.uk that Stephen McPhail will be out of action for the opening of the season, while tempering the news with the positive of Kevin McNaughton agreeing a new deal.
Watch Dave's full press conference on Cardiff City Player
"Unfortunately for us we have some injury news in the form of Stephen McPhail missing out after a knock at Notts County," said Dave. "He's had some cartilage shaved and will be out for two to three weeks, which is a shame so close to the new season.
"Thankfully the rest of the lads are all ok up until our training session on Friday morning. Jay missed out at Notts County but has been involved in full training, while Ross McCormack is also fine after a small knock last week.
"We are looking at some of the players who are set to be out of contract next year, and once we can clear some of the hurdles we face and get some new bodies in, we can then continue to speak with our players. Already Kevin McNaughton has agreed to sign a new deal, which is positive news."
As for our visitors, Dave admits while he's not an expert on Deportivo, he's looking forward to pitting his squad against Spanish style at Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday.
"As a team I don't know a great deal about Deportivo apart from what I've seen of them on TV," he admitted. "I watched them a few times last year and they are a decent side with decent players. Fans of Deportivo, like with every team from Spain will no doubt be on a high after the success of the national side in the World Cup, so we can expect a good atmosphere here today and a good test for my players against a strong squad. We are all looking forward to the challenge."
For Dave's in-depth notes, pick up a copy of our collector edition match magazine, I'LL BE THERE, where Dave also talks about the resolve in the camp and the job ahead of us going into the Championship campaign next week.
Tickets for Cardiff City v Deportivo La Coruña are still available from the Cardiff City Ticket Office on 0845 345 1400. Alternatively, go to our eticketing page by clicking on the link below:
