South East Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy says centre-back pair Will Fish and Dylan Lawlor are available for Saturday's trip to Blackburn Rovers, but Rubin Colwill remains sidelined with an ankle injury.

Fish - who played 45 games for the Bluebirds last season - has not featured this campaign having been recovering from surgery on a hernia injury.

Meanwhile, Wales international Lawlor made his return from a knee injury with a brief substitute appearance in Cardiff's last game against Charlton on 19 September.

Cardiff, who sit 21st in the Championship after eight games, will continue to be without Calum Chambers who is struggling with a knee injury.

However, the return of Fish and Lawlor will be a big boost to the Bluebirds, who have regularly been forced to play full-backs in a central role during the early stages of the season.

"[Fish and Lawlor] are all good, the break has benefitted them and they are good to go," said Barry-Murphy.

"Calum is not back in training, he's seen a specialist today. We'll know more about his injury after that.

"I was hopeful we'd have one or two more players back by this junction. Hopefully they will all be fit sooner rather than later."

Cardiff remain without Colwill, with Barry-Murphy hopeful the 24-year-old will return to full training next week.

And striker Yousef Salech remains a doubt for Saturday's game at Ewood Park having suffered a shoulder injury in the closing stages of their win over Charlton.

"He was back on the pitch on Tuesday, we'll have to check with him," said Barry-Murphy.

"He hasn't trained with us yet so we'll have to see how he is today make a decision about Saturday afternoon.

"Isaak [Davies] has been back in full training today and has done a lot of work over the international break, but Rubin won't be fit for Saturday.

"And Alex Robertson has had shin splints and a tight Achilles. We don't think he'll train today but hopefully he'll train tomorrow and be fit for Saturday."

Blackburn Rovers and Cardiff City are hoping to build on some promising signs when they resume Championship action against each other at Ewood Park on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Rovers take a two-game unbeaten run into the meeting while Cardiff recorded their first league win of the campaign when beating Charlton Athletic 3-1 just before the international break.

• Blackburn Rovers were beaten 2-1 at Ewood Park by Cardiff City in their last Championship meeting in March 2025 but have not lost consecutive home league games against the Bluebirds since November 1980.

• Cardiff City are hoping to record consecutive league wins against Blackburn Rovers for the first time since August 2016.

• Blackburn are hoping to record consecutive home league wins for only the second time in the past two seasons, previously achieving that in February 2026.

• Although they have only registered one Championship win this season, Cardiff have had the most shots (148), the most shots on target (53) and average the highest possession of any side (64.8%), while only Middlesbrough have completed more passes in the final third than the Bluebirds (1,084).

• Jack Moylan was involved in all three of Cardiff's goals in their 3-1 win over Charlton last time out (2 goals, 1 assist). Moylan has had the most touches in the opposition box in the Championship this season (62) and ranks third for shots (30).

Swansea City could be off the top of the table by the time they meet Norwich City on Saturday (12:30 BST).

A victory for West Ham over QPR on Friday night (20:00 BST) would send the Hammers to the summit at the expense of the Swans.

• Swansea City have won their past three home league matches against Norwich City since a 1-0 defeat in the 2022-23 season under Russell Martin.

• Norwich have won just one of their past seven league games against Swansea, a 5-1 home victory in January 2025.

• Swansea have picked up 17 points in their eight Championship matches this season (W5 D2 L1), their best start to a season since 2019-20, when they also had 17 points.

• No side has conceded more goals in the Championship this season than Norwich (17), who have lost both of their past two games 4-3 against Middlesbrough and Bolton. They are the first side in the top four tiers to lose consecutive league games despite scoring three goals since Newcastle in December 2012, while no side has lost three on the bounce when scoring at least three times.

• This season in the Championship, Norwich's Ben Chrisene is one of only two defenders in the competition to record more than 20 tackles (21) and more than 30 possession duel wins (33), alongside West Brom's Callum Styles.

Image source, Getty Images

Lincoln City head coaches Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, Swansea's Vitor Matos, Mark Robins of Stoke City and West Ham United boss Nuno Espirito Santo have been nominated for September's Championship manager of the month award.

Cohen and Shaw oversaw a run of eight points from five games for newly-promoted Lincoln last month, including away wins at Preston and Bristol City.

Matos won August's award and is in the running again as Swansea took 10 points in September to move to the top of the Championship table.

Stoke City recovered from losing their opening three games of the season under Robins to go unbeaten last month with four wins from their five outings and move up to seventh place.

West Ham boss Nuno's side rattled in 18 goals in their five matches in September with only Millwall preventing them from taking three points in a 2-2 draw at The Den.

The winner will be announced at 06:00 BST on Friday, 9 October.