WATFORD will look to put further pressure on the Championship`s top two when they host Cardiff City this Saturday in the tea-time kick-off.
After Tuesday`s important victory against Hull City at the KC Stadium, Gianfranco Zola`s side are just a point off of the npower Championship`s automatic promotion spots, and although the Bluebirds sit atop the league with an eight-point cushion, the game is important nonetheless.
With Watford doing the south Wales outfit a favour in beating Steve Bruce`s side on Tuesday, faltering Cardiff – four wins in 10 – suddenly have a seven-point lead to protect and will surely be jittery as they arrive at Vicarage Road with that long-awaited promotion in their sites.
It`s been a long-time coming for the Bluebirds, who have always been ‘there or there abouts` over the past five seasons, but after failing in the play-offs last term, it looks like ex-Hornet Malky Mackay will put the second Welsh team in the Premier League ever.
After narrowly losing out to Liverpool on penalties in the Carling Cup final last term, finishing sixth and at the very least delivering a play-off place, (but almost certainly more), this term, the Scot has done a superb job at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Top continually since November 26 of last year, it would take an extraordinary collapse akin to years gone by for Mackay`s side to remain in the Championship next season.
With a wealth of striking options including former Hornets Tommy Smith and Heidar Helguson, as well as the recently-recruited Frazier Campbell, Rudy Gestede, Nicky Maynard and Joe Mason, it`s perhaps surprising that the leading scorer in the npower Championship this term are midfielders Aron Gunnarsson and Peter Whittingham, both men on eight goals.
Whittingham, 28, has been impeccable for the Bluebirds in the past few seasons, kicking on from the inconsistent player of yesteryear.
Signed by Dave Jones for a bargain £350,000 from Aston Villa in January 2007, the 5`10 midfield lynchpin has gone from strength-to-strength in south Wales, racking up 235 league starts for City, scoring 63 goals from midfield in the process.
A cultured player with a cute left-foot, Whittingham had loan spells with Burnley and Derby County before permanently switching to Cardiff as he searched for first-team football.
As well as an eye for goal, the central/left midfielder is a dead-ball expert and frequently captains the side in the absence of regular skipper Mark Hudson.
Just one appearance behind Whittingham, with 37 nPower Championship appearances, former Hornet Helguson has proved a shrewd acquisition.
Weighing in with seven league goals this term, the 34 year-old striker joined the Bluebirds over the summer on a free transfer from Premier League Queens Park Rangers.
In two spells at Vicarage Road, the Icelandic international scored 66 goals from 148 starts for the Golden Boys, making himself a modern day cult hero in WD18.
An all-action striker, Helguson joined QPR in November 2008, initially on-loan, before making the move permanent in January 2009.
In four seasons at Loftus Road, Helguson bagged 27 league goals in 63 starts for the west Londoners.
In 13 years in English football, Helguson has an overall strike record of 113 league goals from 281 starts – a strike ratio of 0.4 goals per game.
Zola will be without the services of Fitz Hall (hamstring), Tommie Hoban, Nyron Nosworthy (Achilles heel), Neuton (shoulder), John Eustace (back) and Connor Smith (knee). Manuel Almunia will be assessed nearer the game.
Lloyd Doyley looks likely to come in for Matthew Briggs, who was unimpressive at Hull, whilst the injured Fitz Hall could be replaced by Daniel Pudil, with Joel Ekstrand moving to centre-back alongside Doyley and Marco Cassetti.
Fernando Forestieri could return in place of Matej Vydra having been dropped at Hull despite his brace against Sheffield Wednesday.
Mackay is without skipper Mark Hudson as well as strike duo Campbell and Maynard. Ben Turner should start in defence whilst the Scot can choose from the likes of Smith, Helguson, Gestede and Mason to partner Bellamy.
Predicted line-ups:
Watford: Bond; Doyley (c), Ekstrand, Cassetti; Anya, Abdi, Battocchio, Chalobah, Pudil; Forestieri & Deeney.
Cardiff City: Marshall; Connolly, Barnett, Turner, Taylor; Kim, Gunnarsson, Mutch, Conway; Helguson & Bellamy.
Referee: Mr M Halsey.
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