Bolton Wanderers manager Steven Schumacher has highlighted the 'massive gulf' his team and Cardiff City face in the Championship ahead of their Saturday lunchtime meeting. Cardiff currently sit 20th in the table with just four points from their opening six matches, having drawn 1-1 with Stoke City last time out.
Schumacher's comments came in a pre-match briefing where he discussed the challenge for the three promoted clubs, all of whom are in the bottom six. "It's disappointing," he said. "The three teams that came up, we're all down there."
Injury updates for Bolton
Bolton receive a defensive boost with Akin Famewo and Lewis Brunt both cleared to play after recovering from hamstring injuries. Luca Stephenson has returned to light training but will not be risked for this fixture.
Cardiff's current form
Cardiff's recent form shows the scale of the task, with no wins in their last five outings. Their sequence reads DLLDL, including a 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth and a 2-1 loss at QPR. Jamilu Colwill scored their equaliser against Stoke, assisted by Chris Willock, but the Bluebirds have struggled for consistency.
Schumacher added, "Cardiff have been really good. They've played better than what their results have shown, and so have we." He insisted his side would stick to their principles despite the difficult start. The Bolton boss also noted Cardiff's more recent Championship experience, having spent only one season in League One before returning.
Cardiff will be without several players for the trip to the Toughsheet, including Calum Chambers, Dylan Lawlor, Isaak Davies, William Fish and Rubin Colwill. After this match, Erol Bulut's side face a tough home fixture against fifth-placed Charlton Athletic on 19 September.
