Cardiff City will be hoping to avoid a third defeat in a row when they host Charlton Athletic in the Championship on Saturday afternoon.

Charlton make the trip to South Wales in even worse form, with no win being recorded in all competitions since August 25.

Cardiff City

Cardiff began the season with three wins and three draws from their opening half-a-dozen fixtures in the Championship, but back-to-back setbacks have sent the Bluebirds tumbling outside of the playoff spots.

The 2-0 defeat to Hull City was down to a combination of wayward finishing and a resolute defensive performance from the Tigers, while they found themselves on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline against Rotherham United after the first-half dismissal of goalkeeper David Marshall.

The Welsh club would have earned a point had it not been for a last-minute own goal, but nevertheless, successive matches without a point has changed the mood at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Manager Russell Slade is coming up to a year in charge of the club, and a return of 18 victories and 16 defeats is only considered an average record at a club who have failed to produce the desired response after suffering relegation from the Premier League in 2014.

It is still early in the season, but the next few weeks could play a significant part in whether Cardiff are to be considered genuine contenders for the playoffs or a club who will endure another inconsistent campaign in an unforgiving league.

Recent form: DWWWLL
Recent form (all competitions): WLWWLL

Charlton Athletic

Over the course of the first six games of the season, the excitement at The Valley grew to its highest level since their return to the second tier of English football in 2012.

However, it has taken just five fixtures for that early-season optimism to disappear and boss Guy Luzon has a major job on his hands to halt a run of form that has included four defeats and 12 goals being scored against the Addicks.

Last weekend, Charlton succumbed 3-0 to a Blackburn Rovers side who had previously failed to register a win all season, while in midweek, they were on the end of a 4-1 thrashing from London rivals Crystal Palace in the League Cup.

Luzon put their second-half capitulation down to the lack of experience in the side due to injuries, but three of the four losses that they have suffered since August 29 have been down to goals shipped in the second period.

Saturday's game will represent Charlton's third away game in the space of a week and tiredness may be a factor, but with his team now just two points above the relegation zone - a month after sitting in third - Luzon cannot afford another defeat.

Recent form: DWLDLL
Recent form (all competitions): WLDLLL

Team News

Second-choice goalkeeper Simon Moore will start in place of Marshall, who will sit out the next two games through suspension.

Cardiff boss Slade is likely to make further alterations to his team, with Anthony Pilkington and Kenwyne Jones potential inclusions in midfield and attack.

Luzon indicated after the defeat to Palace that he would have the same squad at his disposal, but Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Tony Watt are likely to come back into the team.

Reza Ghoochannejhad and Franck Moussa are among as many as seven players who are sidelined, while a decision must be made regarding Igor Vetokele, who is the subject of interest from Bolton Wanderers.

Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Moore, Peltier, Morrison, Connolly, Fabio, Pilkington, Dikgacoi, Whittingham, Ralls, Jones, Mason

Charlton Athletic possible starting lineup:
Pope, Solly, Diarra, Bauer, Fox, Bergdich, Cousins, Kashi, Gudmundsson, Watt, Makienok

Head To Head

Charlton have the edge in the head-to-head record between the two teams, winning 33 times from 72 matches compared to just the 21 triumphs for Cardiff.

The Welsh club have also won just once in their eight most recent meetings, which came back in 2008.

Charlton boast a five-match unbeaten streak, but three of those matches have ended in a draw.

We say: Cardiff City 2-1 Charlton Athletic

With Cardiff losing twice in a row and Charlton lacking confidence and struggling with injuries, this match is a tough one to call. We are backing Charlton to find a better cutting edge in front of goal, but the Bluebirds could snatch a winner late on.