2026 OPENS WITH A TRIP TO WYCOMBE
- ccfcinsider
- Dec 31, 2025
- 3 min read
Cardiff City open 2026 with a trip to Adams Park to face Michael Duff's Wycombe Wanderers.
The Opposition:
Wycombe came firing out of the blocks last season and led the table for parts of the first half of the season. Manager at the time, Matt Bloomfield, was poached by Luton Town in January, and replaced by Mike Dodds. Dodds led The Chairboys to a fifth place finish, with a play-off semi-final defeat against inevitable play-off winners Charlton Athletic.
Mike Dodds oversaw the summer window, adding Jamie Mullins from Brighton and Hove Albion, Mikki van Sas from Feyenoord, Connor Taylor from Bristol Rovers, Dan Casey from Motherwell, Caolan Boyd-Munce from St. Mirren, Stuart Moore from Morecambe, Niall Huggins from Sunderland, Taylor Allen from Walsall, George Abbott from Tottenham, Cauley Woodrow from Luton Town, Sam Bell from Bristol City, Bradley Fink from Basel, Ewan Henderson from Beerschot VA, James Tilley from AFC Wimbledon, Junior Quitirna from Crawley Town and Donnell McNeilly from Nottingham Forest.
After a slow start to the season, Dodds was replaced by ex-Swansea and Huddersfield manager Michael Duff. Duff favours compact, disciplined teams that press aggressively out of shape and transition quickly, often prioritizing organization over possession. He commonly uses a back three or five with wing-backs, focusing on vertical play, physical intensity, and strong set-piece routines.
The Bluebirds:
Cardiff come into this one on the back of a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Stevenage. Phoenix Patterson gave the visitors the lead, before goals form Callum Robinson and Yousef Salech secured all three points for The Bluebirds.
By dominating possession with sharp positional play, quick rotations, and patient circulation to pull Duff’s compact shape apart, City can create overloads between the lines and attack the spaces left by aggressive pressing.
Opposition Player to Watch:
Tottenham-loanee George Abbott made his long awaited return from injury on Monday, and is a hugely talented player in the heart of the Wycombe midfield. Abbott is a composed, press-resistant midfielder who dictates tempo through smart positioning, tidy ball retention, and progressive passing.
The midfielder made his senior debut for boyhood club Spurs in 2023. Abbott spent last season on loan in League Two with Notts County where he caught the eye, contributing with six goals and seven assists. The 20 year-old joined Wycombe in the summer where he's contributed with a goal and assist so far this season.
Last Meeting:
Cardiff City 2-1 Wycombe Wanderers (2021)
Cardiff all but sealed Wycombe's relegation from the Championship in these two sides' last meeting. 18 year-old Rubin Colwill made his first ever start for The Bluebirds as they ran out winners.
Kieffer Moore opened the scoring, before boyhood Bluebird Joe Jacobson netted from the spot to level things before half-time. Moore added another to take his tally to twenty for the season, and confirm all three points for City.
Team News:
Cardiff City - Gabriel Osho and Cian Ashford available for Cardiff. Rubin Colwill and Eli King remain out injured.
Wycombe Wanderers - Jamie Mullins and Ewan Henderson doubtful after first-half substitutions on Monday. Josh Scowen, Fin Back and James Tilley expected to miss out.
Preferred XI:
GK - Nathan Trott
RB - Ronan Kpakio
RCB - Dylan Lawlor
LCB - Calum Chambers
LB - Joel Bagan
CDM - Ryan Wintle
CM - Alex Robertson
CAM - Callum Robinson
RW - Omari Kellyman
LW - Chris Willock
ST - Yousef Salech
Score Prediction:
Wycombe Wanderers 1-2 Cardiff City
Wycombe have seen off some good sides at home, so it won't be easy by any means, but I'm hopeful Cardiff with some fresh quality to bring into the side can seal the win in this one.
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