Bristol Rovers will begin their Carabao Cup campaign at Cardiff City with a 7.45 pm kick-off on Tuesday 13th August. Rovers season opener ended in dramatic fashion, when debutant Bryant Bilongo netted a 92nd-minute winner, against Northampton Town at the Memorial Stadium, the first time the Gas have won on the opening day for 13 years.
The 2023/24 League Cup campaign saw the Gas beaten 2-0 at Portman Road by Championship runners-up, Ipswich Town. The Bluebirds, reached round three, whilst giving invaluable experience to the club’s youngsters. Manager Erol Bulut, is expected to once again give the club’s youngsters a run-out “We will try to use young players and new players on Tuesday. To give them more minutes.” said Erol Bulut when asked who could play on Tuesday night.
Matt Taylor has admitted that it’s likely there will be changes to his side, with some players still not fully fit coming into the new season. Two games in four days may possibly be too much for some players, with Grant Ward and Promise Omochere still not at 100%. However, Taylor has a nearly fully fit squad to choose from, with healthy competition in several positions.
Substitutes Luke McCormick, Jamie Lindsay, Joel Senior and Michael Forbes all looked good when they came on against The Cobblers, putting them in contention for a place in the starting eleven. Elsewhere, centre-back Connor Taylor and midfielder Jake Garrett could both get some minutes, as could Kofi Shaw following his superb pre-season performances. Rovers will definitely be without Chris Martin as last season’s top scorer serves the final game of his four-match suspension. However, Ruel Sotiriou who missed the majority of pre-season with a calf tear, could start ahead of Promise.
Cardiff City concluded last season in 12th place, achieving 19 wins, 5 draws, and 22 losses over 46 Championship matches. They ended the campaign with 62 points, finishing 11 points shy of the Play-Off positions and 12 points above the relegation zone.
Erol Bulut, the first team manager, is at the helm of the South Wales club. Appointed in the summer of 2023, the former left-back boasts over 300 senior career appearances with teams like Frankfurt, Fenerbahce, and Olympiacos. The 49-year-old began his coaching journey at Yeni Malatyaspor, competing in Turkey’s second division, before moving on to manage Alanyaspor, Fenerbahce, and Gaziantep.
Bulut quickly became a fan favourite, particularly after securing three derby victories against fierce rivals Swansea City. In recognition of his efforts, Bulut was awarded a two-year contract extension in June 2024.
During the summer transfer window, Cardiff saw five new players arrive and five depart, with Wilfried Kanga, Calum Chambers, Anwar El Ghazi, Chris Willock, and Alex Robertson joining the club. They wrapped up their pre-season with a 2-0 victory at the Memorial Stadium, where Aaron Ramsey opened the scoring in the 28th minute, followed by Joe Ralls finding the top corner from outside the area eleven minutes into the second half.
In this Carabao Cup first-round match at the Cardiff City Stadium, both teams have the opportunity to gain momentum, but Cardiff are under greater pressure to perform after a disappointing start to their Championship campaign. On the opening day of the 2024-25 season, Sunderland defeated Cardiff City 2-0 in South Wales.
Midfielder Alex Robertson may make his debut for Cardiff City, along with academy graduates such as midfielder Raheem Conte and forward Cian Ashford. Robertson remained an unused substitute against Sunderland, but the Bluebirds fans are eagerly anticipating their first look at the recent signing from Manchester City.
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Up the Gas!