Tonight's Cardiff City news as manager 'confident' about midfielder and player available for first time
Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Friday, January 3.
Flynn 'confident' he will keep hold of Colwill
Cheltenham manager Michael Flynn has said he is "confident" he will be able to keep hold of Joel Colwill this month.
The Wales youth international has been the success story of Cardiff's loan exits, tearing up League Two since moving there in the summer.
READ MORE: Omer Riza delivers contract recommendations to Cardiff City board as verdict given on each player
Bluebirds boss Omer Riza voiced his preference last week that he would like to see the 20-year-old tested at a higher level in the second half of the season, mooting a potential move to a League One club this month.
However, Robins boss Flynn said after his side's goalless draw with Port Vale that he believes Colwill will stick around.
"Joel played today with a dead leg, again he put in another great shift," Flynn said to GloucestershireLive.
"Joel is really enjoying his football and getting valuable minutes, good experience of a team getting better and better. At the minute, I am confident of keeping Joel."
Colwill has scored nine and assisted three goals in 28 appearances for the Gloucestershire club.
Etete available for first time this season
Kion Etete could be available for the first time this season for tomorrow's clash with Middlesbrough.
The striker has been out for the first half of the campaign with a hamstring injury coupled by a number of injury and illness setbacks in recent weeks. Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.
However, it now looks as though he is ready for selection again and could even make the long trip up to Teesside, with Riza wanting as many forward options available as possible.
"Kion’s back now," he said. "He had an illness which set him back. He played in an under-21 game a week ago and trained again yesterday. Slowly now a few are coming back
“Everything depends on conversations I’m having with medical. Kion has played a game now, he has trained but has been set back by illness, we have had to have him back on the grass, training, which is what he is doing.
"So he could be up for selection at Middlesbrough."
Meanwhile, it is understood that Anwar El Ghazi has not made the trip, with the Netherlands international suffering from a hip issue which kept him out for the draw against Coventry on New Year's Day.
Cardiff have appealed Callum Robinson's red card following his sending off against the Sky Blues.
Isaak 'looking sharp and strong' after returning to training
Isaak Davies is "looking strong" in first-team training ahead of his potential return to action this month.
The striker suffered another nasty injury, this time to his hamstring, while on the pre-season tour of Austria and has not played since. However, the former Wales youth international is back with the squad in training and is eyeing a return to action this month.
“Isaak’s been training, the last few days with the squad, doing the technical drills, a floater, a common player, not involved too much with duelling," Riza said.
"He’s looking sharp, looking really strong, chomping at the bit. He's probably a bit away from being involved in games. But he is there and nice to see him back.
"Isaak, he is still looking at mid-January or late January. He had a setback and we have to make sure we don't have another setback with him.”
It's been a long time since Davies pulled on the Bluebirds shirt in a competitive match and, as tends to happen in these scenarios, his stock has risen with each passing month. But as Riza points out, it's important to keep these players on an even keel during these periods, while also making sure they feel involved.
“We speak all the time and he knows there’s a place for him here," the manager added. "As long as players know that, their minds will be in a good place, not to rush or feel under pressure to get playing. But we do want them back.
"They have to feel they’re not forgotten. They'll be ready in their own time.
"Isaak, we’ve managed him well, the medical team, making sure we are not overdoing it and making sure on what he can and can't do. He's looking like he is in a good place. I’m looking forward to having him back.”
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And another small positive is that it doesn't seem like David Turnbull's season is over as was originally feared. The Scotland international started to look the real deal alongside Alex Robertson in the No.8 role before he suffered a hamstring injury which, like Davies, required surgery.
But the midfielder looks like he could be back before the end of the campaign which is a real plus for Cardiff.
"I only had a conversation with Dave Turnbull the other day, I said to him 'don't be a stranger, come in the office and have a chat'," Riza added.
"Initially it was looking like it could be (a season-ending injury). It’s still quite long, he’s had the operation and walking around. He's not feeling any pain. Now they can start progressing his strength work and his rehab work.
"Hopefully it might March, or April, so the back end of the season but there is potential he could feature before the end of the season.”
Stand-in Coventry City referee identified
The stand-in fourth official at the Cardiff City v Coventry City game has been identified as Dale Randall.
The 32-year-old, who hails from Tonyrefail in the Rhondda, had initially been scheduled to take charge of a match between Goytre United and Llantwit Major in the JD Cymru South league, but it was cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch.
He found himself at Cardiff City Stadium on New Year's Day, when the stadium announcer asked for any qualified referees to make themselves known after fourth official James Durkin replaced the injured Geoff Eltringham midway through the first half of the 1-1 draw.
After being given a quick tutorial on using the subs board, he was handed an earpiece and set to work.
"It was a bit nuts," Mr Randall told the BBC. "It was surreal, with 19,000 supporters watching you," he added.
"I've never officiated in front of such a large crowd.
"Geoff Eltringham was limping around. One of the Cardiff City coaching staff told me to put the board up for added time because he couldn't walk.
"At half-time they're giving me the communication kit and a quick tutorial on what they want from me. It was really nuts. I don't think I knew the referee's name until I heard it through my earpiece."
He added that he got one substitution wrong on the board, having the player substituted in and out the wrong way around, but other than that his fourth official stint went largely very smoothly.
He added: "I've had 400 texts from the refereeing fraternity, friends and family saying 'well done'. I'll back to normal next week officiating at Tredegar Town. A slightly different world."
