City face Bolton Wanderers at the Toughsheet Community Stadium this weekend, searching for their first win of the Sky Bet Championship season.
Bolton Wanderers vs. Cardiff City
Sky Bet Championship
Saturday, 12th September 2026
12:30pm KO
Toughsheet Community Stadium
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT | THE TROTTERS
Bolton Wanderers are back in the Championship for the first time since 2018/19, having emerged victorious from last season's League One Play-Offs. Having finished 5th in the table, the Trotters defeated Bradford City 2-0 on aggregate, winning 1-0 in both semi-final legs, before a handsome 4-1 triumph over Stockport County at Wembley to seal their return to the second tier.
Steven Schumacher is the man who has led Wanderers back to the Championship. The ex-Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City boss joined the club in January 2025, finishing 8th in League One during his maiden season in charge. Having achieved the aim of promotion last term, the 42-year-old's current target will be to keep Bolton in the Championship this season.
Wanderers recruited no fewer than 14 new players during the summer transfer window. Notable additions include defender Ben Davies from Rangers, Wrexham duo Ryan Hardie and Lewis Brunt, the latter being a loan deal, and goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu from Southampton, who previously worked with Bluebirds boss Brian Barry-Murphy at Manchester City.
However, the Trotters have lost several members of their promotion-winning squad, with loanees Amario Cozier-Duberry, Mason Burstow and Johnny Kenny all heading for pastures new - Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday and Preston respectively - with Marcus Forss also returning to his parent club Boro.
2026/27 Squad
GK | Jack Bonham, Nathan Broome, David Harrington, Gavin Bazunu, Luke Hutchinson.
DEF | Chris Forino, Lewis Brunt, Ben Davies, Akin Famewo, Eoin Toal, Gaizka Larrazabal, Max Conway, Luca Stephenson, Sam Inwood.
MID | Xavier Simons, Kyliane Dong, Josh Sheehan, David Watson, Samuel Iling-Junior, Ethan Erhahon, Jayden Nelson, Rúben Rodrigues, Atsuki Ito.
FOR | Thelonius Bair, Sam Dalby, Thierry Gale, John McAtee, Ryan Hardie.
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT | CURRENT FORM
After an opening-day 2-1 win over Preston North End at a near capacity Toughsheet Community Stadium, the Trotters have since suffered four consecutive Championship defeats.
Sam Dalby and Thierry Gale were on the scoresheet as Schumacher's side made a winning start to life back in the second tier, but have struggled since that opening August afternoon. A goalless draw at Queens Park Rangers was followed by a narrow home loss to fellow promoted side Lincoln City, who scored a second half winner through Ben House.
Wanderers then fell to a 3-2 away defeat to Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. Xavier Simons opened the scoring in the first minute, with Japhet Tanganga equalising three minutes later. It was a similar story in the second half; Dalby struck on minute 67, but United equalised just one minute later through Patrick Bamford. The winner came in stoppage time, as Romelle Donovan struck to break Bolton hearts.
The Trotters have faced East London opponents in their last two fixtures. A trip to The Den did not end well, with Millwall emerging 4-0 winners, whilst the midweek home meeting with West Ham United was more finely balanced. Bolton turned around an early deficit, with goals from Ethan Erhahon and Rúben Rodrigues, only for Konstantinos Mavropanos and a Jarrod Bowen brace to swing the result in the favour of the Hammers, with a final score of 3-2 to the visitors.
2026/27 | Bolton Wanderers in competitive action
Overall: LWDLLLL
Home: WLL
Away: LDLL
BLUEBIRDS AND TROTTERS | RECENT RESULTS
The two sides have only met 11 times since the turn of the century, with home advantage being particularly important in this fixture. The Bluebirds have won just twice at the Toughsheet Community Stadium; a Fraizer Campbell strike secured victory in an FA Cup Fourth Round clash in 2014, whilst Tony Watt, Scott Malone and Anthony Pilkington were on target in a memorable 3-2 City win from December 2015.
Likewise, Bolton have only tasted success once at Cardiff City Stadium - a 3-0 victory in April 2015, in which Eiður Guðjohnsen and Craig Davies (2) were on the scoresheet.
Last season saw these two sides go head to head in the race for automatic promotion from League One. Bolton struck the first below at the very end of an otherwise dull contest in October; Cozier-Duberry curled home a stoppage-time winner in a game that looked destined to end goalless.
However, City secured their revenge in the return fixture, which was a big step in the Bluebirds going on to win promotion seven days later. Omari Kellyman and Chris Willock scored second half goals to give BBM's men a 2-0 victory, extending the gap between them and their promotion chasing rivals.