BLUEBIRDS LOOK TO BUILD ON MIDWEEK

ccfcinsider

6 days ago

3 min read

Cardiff City are back on the road as they travel to the Toughsheet Community Stadium to face Bolton Wanderers.

The Opposition:

Bolton Wanderers were promoted from League One last season, alongside the Bluebirds. The Trotters finished 5th before going on to win the play-offs.

Steven Schumacher has been busy this summer in terms of bringing in players. Bolton have added Ryan Hardie from Wrexham, Jayden Nelson from Austin, Luca Stephenson from Liverpool, Akin Famewo from Hull City, Lewis Brunt from Wrexham, Kyliane Dong from Augsburg, David Watson from Kilmarnock, Gavin Bazunu from Southampton, Ben Davies from Rangers, Atsuki Ito from KAA Gent, Samuel Iling-Junior from Aston Villa, Theo Bair from AJ Auxerre, and Gaizka Larrazabal from Casa Pia.

Schumacher has four non-negotiables as a manager: “Run forward and pass it forward. If you lose it, get it back, all recovery runs are sprints, and win all your one-v-ones." The 42-year-old is adaptable in the shape he uses in games. Schumacher asks for simple football from his players and wants them to retain possession, a common theme, as Bolton's chances often come from the flanks.

The Bluebirds:

City come into this on the back of a 1-1 draw against Stoke City. The Bluebirds failed to strike again as Joel Colwill netted, with Cardiff being forced to settle for a fourth draw of the season.

Brian Barry-Murphy's side could counter a Steven Schumacher side by using patient, possession-based play to draw out Schumacher’s compact mid-block and exploit the space behind with well-timed vertical passes.

Opposition Player to Watch:

Bolton Wanderers & Cymru midfielder Josh Sheehan.

Cymru international Josh Sheehan is integral to Schumacher's Bolton. Sheehan is a composed, technically sound midfielder who excels at dictating play from deeper areas through his passing range and ability to retain possession. He combines intelligent positioning with the work rate to contribute defensively, while his set-piece delivery adds another attacking weapon.

The midfielder is a product of the Swansea City academy, joining the club aged ten. Sheehan spent spells on loan at Yeovil Town and Newport County, where he would eventually go on to sign permanently. Sheehan spent three years as a permanent player at County before joining Bolton in the summer of 2021. In his five years at the club, Sheehan has featured 198 times, netting seventeen times and assisting twenty-five goals.

Last Meeting:

Cardiff City 2-0 Bolton Wanderers (2026)

Cardiff's dominant victory over Bolton last time the sides met in April proved to be a catalyst for the Bluebirds' promotion from League One.

After a cagey first half, Omari Kellyman headed the Bluebirds in front five minutes into the second half, with Chris Willock adding a second two minutes later to wrap up the three points for City.

Team News:

Cardiff City - Rubin Colwill a doubt. Dylan Lawlor, Isaak Davies, Will Fish, and Calum Chambers remain out injured.

Bolton Wanderers - Lewis Brunt and Luca Stephenson are out injured for the hosts.

Preferred XI:

GK - Nathan Trott

RB - Perry Ng

RCB - Gabriel Osho

LCB - Krystian Bielik

LB - Joel Bagan

CDM - Alex Robertson

CM - Joel Colwill

CAM - Cian Ashford