Cardiff City

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Defender Mark McGuinness makes his first return to Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday night (19.45 GMT) since leaving for Luton Town last summer.

McGuinness made one appearance for the Bluebirds in the League Cup this season - opening the scoring in a 2-0 win over Bristol Rovers - before signing for the Hatters in August.

The 24-year-old returns to Cardiff for a crucial relegation battle, with just five points separating City in 21st and current club Luton two places below.

Former Cardiff boss Mick McCarthy notably predicted the Republic of Ireland international would go on to be a "really good player" for Cardiff after signing him from Arsenal in 2021.

McCarthy also claimed McGuinness would be worth "a hell of a lot of money" in the future.

The first claim proved correct, with McGuinness becoming a commanding presence in Cardiff's defence during his three-year spell at the club, making more than 80 appearances.

He was somewhat surprisingly sent on loan to Sheffield Wednesday for the first half of the 2022-23 season, before regaining his place in the Cardiff team thanks to his impressive form at Hillsborough.

Whether he has proved to be worth a lot of money is less clear, though Luton claimed his move to Kenilworth Road was for a "significant undisclosed fee".

McGuinness has started all but five of Luton's 36 league matches this season, scoring three times for a side battling to avoid back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to League One.

The Hatters are second-bottom of the Championship having won only one of their past 14 league games.

They'll arrive in South Wales on the back of a 4-0 defeat at Burnley, with Luton and Cardiff sharing the second worst defensive record in the division.

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Cardiff City boss Omer Riza says he was pleased to see forward Isaak Davies score as he made his first start of the season for the Bluebirds.

Riza was disappointed with the manner of his side's 2-1 defeat at Sunderland, but praised goalscorer Davies who found the net in his first start of an injury-hit campaign.

The Wales under-21 international has returned from a serious hamstring issue and has also seen his contract extended until 2026 in a campaign where he has featured just four times.

"Isaak has been out a long time injured, he's got himself back, he's got a new contact now as well and it was nice to see him out there," Riza told BBC Radio Wales Sport.

"That was the plan today, to let him go out and open up and he's quick and aggressive on that top line and he's followed it in well and got a goal and I am pleased for him.

"We've got youngsters coming through and doing well and that's a positive, but winning games is more important at the minute."

Riza was upset after a late freekick routine saw Wales international defender Chris Mepham score the winner for Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

"In open play they didn't cause us a problem," Riza said.

"The goal came from a set-piece where we had to do better and we didn't and we got punished for it.

"To let in a goal from a soft freekick is highly disappointing and frustrating."

Cardiff are now four points above the Championship relegation zone and next face Luton who are in the bottom three.

"We should have picked up a point against Burnley [in midweek] and today and we haven't done it, it's disappointing," Riza added.

"We've still got a lot of tough games left and we've got to win them."

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Omer Riza insists Cardiff City are going to Sunderland in search of victory this afternoon (15:00 GMT) as they look to follow Hull City's lead by winning at the Stadium of Light.

The promotion-chasing Black Cats had been unbeaten at home in the Championship all season until relegation-threatened Hull upset Sunderland on their patch a fortnight ago.

Cardiff face a potentially key home game against another side in the relegation scrap, Luton Town, next Tuesday.

But Riza has rejected the suggestion that he might prioritise the Luton fixture, insisting Cardiff will target victory on Wearside.

"The focus is for us is taking as many points as we can from every game," Riza added.

"It's about us trying to maintain our values our principles, and how we want to play."

Cardiff are a place above the relegation zone heading into the weekend's games, five points clear of 22nd-placed Luton.

The Hatters face a tough trip to Burnley on Saturday, with Plymouth Argyle, who are 23rd, at home to Sheffield Wednesday and bottom-club Derby County hosting Blackburn Rovers.

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Sunderland bounced back from their defeat to Hull by winning at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend, meaning Regis Le Bris' team are eight points short of the automatic promotion places in fourth.

"Sunderland are a good young side," Riza said.

"They have Jobe Bellingham who I have worked with at England and is doing really well this year.

"They are energetic, robust considering their ages. They play good football and are defensively solid, so it will be a tough game for us."

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Sivert Mannsverk reckons Cardiff City "should not even be close" to the Championship relegation scrap based on the talent within Omer Riza's squad.

Cardiff, in 21st, are five points clear of the bottom three going into Saturday's tricky trip to Sunderland.

The Bluebirds suffered a first league defeat in four games against high-flying Burnley in midweek, though victory over relegation rivals Hull 10 days ago was Cardiff's only success in their past six second-tier games.

But Mannsverk, 22, has seen enough since arriving on loan from Ajax in January to convince him that Riza's men will avoid the drop.

"I think we have all been talking about the quality in this squad," the Norwegian said.

"We know the quality is probably higher than being in a relegation battle - that's what I have noticed as well.

"But the situation is probably what's been going on since the start of the season - we have had some games where we could have got some more points."

After taking on fourth-placed Sunderland, Cardiff face a potentially pivotal game against Luton – the side currently in 22nd – next Tuesday before another tricky away fixture at Blackburn Rovers in eight days' time.

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"We have to accept the situation and know with the quality in the squad, we can have a good week and go into the international break with a good feeling," Mannsverk added.

"I see the quality in this group, it should not even be close to relegation."

Despite Cardiff's struggles, Mannsverk is savouring his spell in Wales.

He has so far managed seven appearances for the Championship club having faced two significant injury lay-offs while at Ajax.

When asked about the chances of making a permanent move to Cardiff, Mannsverk said: "I think in respect for the club that owns me, I don't want to talk about my future now.

"But I am really happy here and I am enjoying playing again, which is the most important thing for me because when you have been out for a long time you are always looking for this."

Cardiff City, fresh from a loss to third placed Burnley, will make the trip up to the Stadium of Light on Saturday (15:00 GMT) to take on fourth placed Sunderland.

The Bluebirds are five points clear of the relegation zone but only hover one place above Luton Town in 22nd.

While Sunderland are on the chase for automatic promotion after a win against Sheffield Wednesday put a stop to a two-game losing run, but have now drifted eight points shy of a place in the top two.

• Sunderland have won each of their last two league games against Cardiff City and could win three in succession for the first time since October 1922.

• Cardiff City have won each of their last three away league games against Sunderland, as many victories as across their prior 15 matches combined against the Black Cats (D6 L6).

• After going unbeaten in their first 16 home league games this season, Sunderland lost 1-0 to Hull last time out at the Stadium of Light. They last suffered consecutive home defeats in their final two home games of last season.

• Cardiff have won just one of their last 19 away Championship matches (D9 L9) and have picked up just three points in five games (D3 L2) since their last away win on 29 December against Watford.

• Jobe Bellingham made his 100th Championship appearance in Sunderland's 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday, becoming the second teenager to play 100+ games since the 2004 rebrand, along with Will Hughes (121). He's also the first player born after the first Championship games on 7 August 2004 to make 100 Championship appearances.

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Burnley boss Scott Parker says Cardiff City "are in a false position" in the Championship.

The Bluebirds became the first side to score a league goal against Burnley in 13 matches as they were beaten 2-1 by the Clarets at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday.

The result keeps Burnley in the hunt for automatic promotion - and means Cardiff slip to just one place outside of the relegation zone.

However, former England international Parker says the Welsh side have good qualities.

"This is a tough place to come and I think the table is probably a misrepresentation of where Cardiff are to be quite honest with you, because they're a good side. I think we see that in elements [of the game]," he said.

"We've prided ourselves on being rock solid, but our overall focus is winning games.

"Winning is what it is all about now. Cardiff are fighting down there and we expected a tough game and they provided that.

"The momentum swung in the back-end of the game. We needed to hit the reserve button to get out of it and we did that."

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Cardiff City boss Omer Riza wants his side to show their own defensive improvements when they take on clean sheet experts Burnley.

The Bluebirds welcome Scott Parker's promotion chasers to Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) after both were knocked out of the FA Cup over the weekend.

While Cardiff bowed out of the fifth round to Premier League Aston Villa, Burnley were surprisingly knocked out by fellow Championship side Preston.

What was more surprising was the Clarets conceding three times given they are on course to break a whole host of defensive records, including having already kept 25 clean sheets in the league this season.

That includes a second-tier record 12 in a row as they prepare to head to south Wales, just two short of equalling Manchester United's consecutive shut-out record of 14.

They have conceded just nine Championship goals all term - Chelsea hold English football's league record with 15 in 2004-05.

Cardiff have had their struggles at the back – including shipping seven against Leeds United at the start of last month – with only three sides conceding more than their 55 so far this term.

However, Riza was keen to point out his side's eye-catching display as they held Champions League-level opposition at bay for 68 minutes at Villa Park.

"We've been doing well – we've lost two in 12 – so our run's been okay," said Riza, whose side go into the game five points and two places above the bottom three.

"So we're working off something solid and the boys have proved their levels of defensive focus against a very good Premier League side who are in the knock-out stages of the Champions League.

"We can take heart from that. Burnley is a tough game against a side who don't concede many goals, but we go into it with a lot of confidence.

"If we are solid and focussed and don't concede goals, we have proven we have the potential to score goals – and that's what we are looking to do."

Cardiff have only kept four clean sheets themselves in the league this season but the last was only a week ago in a significant home win over fellow strugglers Hull City.

And Riza is keen for the positives and pride found in a defiant display at Villa to be taken into their final 12 games of the campaign, saying: "The momentum we've gained from the cup run for the league has been great with respect to our confidence levels. We're out now and our focus is on the league and we'll take the positives into it.

"Our performance levels have been good and we've been unlucky at times picking up one point instead of all three.

"The defensive focus is something we'll take into the league because we've proven we can do it. "

On-loan Leicester City winger Will Alves could return from injury to feature while midfielder Alex Robertson should be available after making his fitness comeback off the bench at Villa.

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His debut was hailed as "brilliant" by a Cardiff City icon and he is a regular in an impressive Wales youth side full of future talent.

And now Bluebirds boss Omer Riza has admitted Dylan Lawlor has become a first-team option after being "surprised" by the 19-year-old's eye-catching display at Premier League Aston Villa.

Lawlor had not played a minute of senior football before he was thrown in against Marcus Rashford and Ollie Watkins in Friday night's FA Cup fifth-round tie at Villa Park.

Despite the 2-0 defeat, former Cardiff City striker Nathan Blake said there were plenty of positives to take as Cardiff turn their focus back to their Championship survival bid – with Lawlor's performance one of them.

Criticised in recent years for failing to produce enough first-team players, Cardiff fielded six academy products at Villa (not including long-established graduate Aaron Ramsey), with Lawlor in a backline containing Wales Under-19 team-mate Luey Giles.

"He was superb," Riza said of Caerphilly-born Lawlor, who joined the club at the age of seven.

"He surprised me a little bit today with some of the things he did. I know he is a good-quality player and in possession he is really good, and he was very calm and collected.

"But I thought, defensively, he picked up good positions, dealt with one-on-one situations, read the game well. It was a brilliant debut."

Lawlor has had to bide his time at club level but has been part of Chris Gunter's Under-19 team that has reached the Elite group of their European Championship qualifiers alongside Manchester United hot prospect Gabrielle Biancheri.

He was also part of the Wales Under-17 side that reached the Euro finals two years ago, scoring the goal to seal qualification.

Lawlor described his debut as "surreal" but Riza hinted he could now experience more opportunities having had recent availability problems at the back.

"We have had Jesper's [Daland] injury, Will [Fish] hasn't played loads of minutes and he's again played two 90s in a row, Goutas was suspended; we have had a few issues in that position, so it's a good option to have," he said.

"Joel Bagan can do it and Perry can fill in but it's just nice for him [Lawlor]."

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Cardiff City manager Omer Riza says the youngsters coming through the squad will be good for both the Bluebirds and for Wales.

Riza handed a debut to 19-year-old Welsh defender Dylan Lawlor in the FA Cup fifth round against Aston Villa on Friday - one of five Welsh players under the age of 24 to feature.

Luey Giles, Isaak Davies, Rubin Colwill and Cian Ashford completed the contingent of young Welsh players to feature in the 2-0 defeat.

Will Fish, Alex Robertson, Yousef Salech and Joel Bagan also played at Villa Park, as nine different Cardiff players younger than 24 played a part.

"They are all working hard and I will give players the opportunity if they work hard and deserve it," said Riza.

"I won't give them the opportunity if they don't, that's not just the Welsh boys that is all the players.

"The boys have been brilliant, it's lovely to see. It's good for the club and good for Wales."

Despite ultimately losing against Aston Villa, the Bluebirds made their Premier League opponents work for the win.

Cardiff had kept the game goalless until 68 minutes in, when Marco Asensio finally gave the Villians the lead.

Asensio's second goal 12 minutes later sealed the win, but Riza took plenty of positives from the Cardiff performance.

"In general we have dealt with a really good side, and done well for most of the game," said Riza.

"I think the momentum we have gained from the cup run has been great for confidence levels."