Preview

 

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Pre-Season Friendlies clash between Cardiff City and Cambridge United, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Cardiff City are in pre-season action for the second time this summer on Saturday afternoon with a friendly against Cambridge United in the Welsh capital.

The Bluebirds were comfortable 5-0 winners against Bath City last weekend, while Cambridge have not played a game since earning promotion from League Two in May.

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Match preview

As expected, Mick McCarthy used last week's trip to Twerton Park as a chance to rotate his squad in what was a solid start to his side's month-long pre-season campaign.

James Collins made his first appearance since joining in May, while fellow newbies Mark McGuinness and Ryan Wintle played the second half against the National League South side.

Republic of Ireland international Collins needed all of three minutes to open his account and went on to hammer home a second before the interval.

Oliver Denham, James Connolly and Isaac Vassell - who has endured an injury-plagued spell at Cardiff - were also on target for the Bluebirds in a straightforward victory.

City return to South Wales on Saturday, though this game will not be played at their Cardiff City Stadium home, but rather the Cardiff International Sports Campus across the road.

The aim will be to continue building momentum in their remaining five matches ahead of facing Barnsley in their opening Championship match on August 7.

Cambridge are at a slightly earlier stage of their pre-season programme, with this their first match since beating Grimsby Town 3-0 on the final day of the League Two season.

United have spent time training in Cardiff and will see this an opportunity to test themselves against a side that will be expected to challenge for a place in the Premier League.

Mark Bonner's men will be competing in the third tier of English football this term for the first time in nearly two decades.

Ahead of their curtain-raising league clash with Oxford United on August 7, Cambridge will also face Queens Park Rangers and Northampton Town, plus a Brentford XI.

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Team News

Cardiff boss McCarthy fielded a different lineup in each half against Bath, and that may well be the case here in the early stages of pre-season.

Collins will be eager to build on his brace last time out, while Vassell is another who will be looking to take advantage of Kieffer Moore's absence.

As well as being without Moore, who represented Wales at Euro 2020 and is enjoying an extended break, City are also without youngster Rubin Colwill for the time being.

Cambridge have brought in seven new players during the close season, most recently snapping up Jensen Weir on a season-long loan from Brighton & Hove Albion.

Weir is among those in contention to feature for the first time this weekend, along with Sam Smith, George Williams and Lloyd Jones.

The U's have a few players in their ranks with experience of playing at a higher level, none more so than former Republic of Ireland international Wesley Hoolahan.

Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Phillips; Denham, Flint, Connolly, NG; Sang, Bowen, Pack, Tomlin; Vassell, Collins

Cambridge United possible starting lineup:
Mitov; Williams; Jones, Taylor, Iredale; Digby, O'Neil; Lankester, Hoolahan, Brophy; Ironside

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We say: Cardiff City 3-1 Cambridge United

The result is not the most important thing this weekend, but McCarthy will still be eager to build on the Bath City win with another victory here.

Cambridge have spent the week training in South Wales and will be eager to pull off an upset, though the Bluebirds should have enough quality to get another win on the board.

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