SCOUT REPORT: HUDDERSFIELD

Cardiff City could make it six successive away wins when they visit Huddersfield Town this Saturday (kick-off 3.00pm).

The Terriers currently occupy seventeenth position in the Championship table, five points above the drop zone. They have picked up three points on one occasion in the last fourteen games; however, under Caretaker Manager Mark Lillis they have produced a home win against Crystal Palace, a draw in the F.A Cup against high flyers Leicester (who had beaten them 6-1 only three weeks earlier) and one defeat against Derby County.

When it comes to playing teams in the top half of the table, only Wolverhampton Wanderers have a worse record than the West Yorkshire outfit. They have won three out of sixteen games, and picked up two draws. However, they have shown in recent games against the likes of Leicester and Palace that they are capable of getting results against the top teams.

Key Players: The Terriers’ squad has found itself with a lengthy injury list of late. Players such as Jermaine Beckford and Keith Southern are just two names that are definitely out of this weekend's tie.

With other injury doubts in the striking department it could see a return to the starting XI for former City player Alan Lee. Lee, who has only had one start in all competitions this season, played nearly hundred times for Cardiff after joining from Rotherham United back in 2003.

Anthony Gerrard is another player who could face his former club at the John Smith’s Stadium. Welsh defender Joel Lynch could return to the team after injury too, to play alongside Gerrard and promising right back Jack Hunt.

And there are two former Palace players who could be vital in the centre of the park for Huddersfield. Neil Danns and Sean Scannell both have a wealth of experience at Championship level and could have a great influence on the result on Saturday.

Previous Meetings: Huddersfield Town have far the superior record when it comes to head-to-head clashes. In total, the Yorkshire club have won twenty-nine games against Cardiff, while City could only record nineteen victories. There have been sixty-six encounters in total and eighteen have ended in draws.

Having said that, the two teams have faced each other just four times in the last ten years. Cardiff have won three of these and Huddersfield one. One of these games was during Cardiff’s Carling Cup run when it took extra time to win 5-3 against what was then a League One Huddersfield Town team.

Last Meeting: Cardiff City 1 – 0 Huddersfield Town (17/08/2012)

The two teams met on the opening Friday night of the season in front of the television cameras. It was Huddersfield’s first game in the second tier of English football for twelve years - and it looked like they were going to mark the occasion with an impressive point. Mark Hudson had other ideas though, spoiling the party with a ninetieth minute goal when striking a low, hard shot passed Alex Smithies.

David Marshall produced a man of the match performance keeping out efforts from Scott Arfield, Keith Southern and Oliver Norwood and helping City to what was their first win in their record-breaking home run.