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Bluebirds left-back Jamilu Collins admits he is looking forward to some respite after enduring a “tough few weeks”.
The Nigeria international was out for practically all of the 2022/23 season with a nasty ACL injury. He has returned to the fold this term and has been fantastic, however the number of games he has had to play after a year out has clearly taken its toll.
The situation has been compounded by City’s other left-backs also being unavailable. Callum O’Dowda is injured and will be out for some months yet, while Joel Bagan (SV Zulte Waragem) and Tom Davies (Kilmarnock) are both out on loan.
Erol Bulut made a point of saying before the international break that Collins, who was called up by Nigeria for two friendlies next week, should not play for his country because it was almost inevitable he would get injured. Alas, he withdrew from the Nigeria squad shortly after.
Collins, and Cardiff, were running out of steam when this international break came along. A disappointing defeat up at Middlesbrough and a poor showing against Watford, in which they earned a 1-1 draw, were testament to that.
And, writing on Instagram, Collins said: “It has been a tough few weeks, but we learned from it. Now is time to recharge.”
Erol Bulut has set his sights on finishing in the top 10 with Cardiff City this season, but admits he hopes for better.
The Bluebirds have enjoyed a positive start to the campaign, sitting in eighth place and one point outside of the play-offs as things stand. However, they have been plagued by injuries to some big players already this term.
Quite where supporters expect Cardiff to end up come May is a broad church, but after two seasons of battling relegation, any improvement on the last couple of years will be welcomed. Indeed, that is how Bulut views it, although he admits he would like to keep his side inside the top 10, which would represent a great launchpad for either a late run to the play-offs or a solid base on which to build next season.
“The number of high-intensity running and sprints is high here. From Turkey, that’s the difference with the team. The important thing is that you are 100 percent because you play games all the time,” he told Milliyet.
“The last two years were not very good for Cardiff. With our arrival and a couple of transfers, we added excitement to the team and changed the atmosphere. We got closer to each other and tried to be one. Our goal is to be better than the last two years. Doing better. My goal is to keep the team in the top 10. Of course, it can be better.”
Young left-back Tom Davies has been called up by Wales under-21s for the first time.
Matty Jones’ side have a crucial Euro U21 qualifier against Czechia on Friday and Davies, a former Wales under-19 international, has been drafted into the squad.