Cardiff City academy player promoted to first team permanently as problem position emerges

Cardiff City have promoted Michael Reindorf to the first-team training squad permanently after his run of goals for the youth team.

The 19-year-old signed as a free agent in the summer having left Norwich City, this weekend's opponents, for Omer Riza's side, and has impressed in front of goal, scoring 12 times in total for the under-21s.

The forward also put in solid showings against Bristol Rovers and Southampton in Carabao Cup matches, providing his first senior assist against the Saints for Rubin Colwill's screamer, but has not featured in a Championship matchday squad so far this term.

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After another match-winning strike for the under-21s in the mini-South Wales derby this week, which you can read more about here, Reindorf's name has once again been the focus of some debate among Bluebirds supporters.

There are some who are firmly in the camp that the jump is simply far too much for him and he needs first-team experience elsewhere before he muscles his way in. There are others who believe you will never know if he's ready until he is given the opportunity.

The problem is also compounded by the poor form of Cardiff's other striking options, with both Wilfried Kanga and Yakou Meite woefully out of form in front of goal. That forward area is quickly becoming a problem position for Riza, who on Thursday confirmed that nailed-on starter Callum Robinson is an injury doubt for the Canaries' visit on Saturday.

And Riza has taken note of Reindorf's form for the under-21s and has made him a permanent fixture in first-team training sessions, however it sounds like there is a way to go before he leapfrogs others in the pecking order. Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.

"I've been to a lot of the under-21s games, I try to go to as many as I can. I couldn't get to the Swansea one because I was down in London," Riza said.

"He is doing well and working hard, the under-21s are doing well, credit to the staff there, Blox (Matthew Bloxham) and the other staff who are around it. He's doing some really good things in and out of possession, but he's got a lot of work to do. He is still young and he's only come in this year.

"I've sat with Michael a few times and he is now finally, over the last two or three weeks, he's been training with the first team, because I thought that was important, you can't just call players up into a first-team environment and think they are going to play without training.

"He hadn't trained before them. It was on and off, but now he's full-time training with the first team. Now he'll have his chance to prove what he can do.

"I did say to Michael that he had to be better than the other players who are playing and training with you every day, day in, day out, to get the opportunity to play. At the moment he's doing OK. He's got to keep working hard. There's been some nice moments at times but there are things that still need a lot of work.

"That's no disrespect to him. He is a young lad who is in and around the first team at the age that he is. He has come in to Cardiff and already got his debut, but we have to be sensible in our approach."

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One wonders how much of a conversation this would be if Kanga had hit the ground running, but the fact of the matter is that the Ivory Coast international has struggled to adapt to his new club.

Granted he was starting under Erol Bulut in a team that was struggling at the beginning of the campaign and has been usurped by Robinson in the pecking order and is now not getting the opportunities. Suddenly, in Robinson's absence — with Meite and Kanga out of form and Kion Etete and Isaak Davies both injured — that front line looks glaringly short of options, with Kanga likely to start should the Irishman fail a late fitness test.

But Riza is not willing to give up on the former France youth international, who has impressed with his finishing prowess in training. Instead, the interim boss wants to give him a fair crack of the whip and hopes he will come good in the coming weeks.

"I've chatted with Willy a few times. It's difficult for players, they don't mean to not perform or not score goals and he needs some confidence," Riza added.

"He needs a chance to score and hopefully he'll get it. What's important is, you don't just lose a player because he hasn't quite done it yet. I still think there's more to come from him and he's looked sharper in training. He's got a good character and works hard. I want to give him a fair opportunity to try and find himself and that's it.

"I was a striker and I know that when you miss opportunities it can be difficult, you start snatching at things or you start second-guessing yourself, taking an extra touch when you should hit first time, it can happen.

"He's only played in games since I've taken the team. All the players are looking at the system, the style, looking at what we're doing and they all want to be in the team. I know he's come on (from the bench) and sometimes he's not been able to do enough, but in training he's working hard.

"There's times in training where his finishing excellent and we come out of training and we're like, 'Did you see Willy Kanga's finishing today?'

"So, he can do it. Would you rather win a player or lose a player? That's what I'll always say."