Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Friday, April 8.
Morison explains why 'knackered' star was left out of derby defeat
Steve Morison has said Isaak Davies was omitted from last weekend's derby defeat because he told the manager he was "knackered" after his exerts with the Wales under-21s squad the previous week.
Paul Bodin's side were hammered 5-1 by Switzerland before earning a respectable 1-1 draw with Bulgaria during that international break, but Davies was an important player, turning out for 90 minutes in both games.
READ MORE: Everything Steve Morison said in his pre-Reading press conference
The striker had been in excellent form for his club heading into that break and it left some supporters scratching their heads when he was not named in the starting XI for the clash with Swansea. However, Morison has explained just why that was the case.
"We have to realise that we had a lot of players that have never dealt with it," Morison said, looking back at how the afternoon panned out. "I look back and think, should I have put a team with more experience out there? Should I have put the Will Vaulkses of the world, the Marlon Packs of the world out there to deal with the occasion? I felt I picked the best team. My one decision was Isaak Davies or Mark Harris from a personal point of view. It was the same team that dismantled Stoke.
"Isaak [Davies] didn’t start because he played two 90 mins for the U21s and he came in on Thursday and told me he was knackered. That was the decision on why I picked Harris over him. That’s my big learning from it. Should I have put in players more capable of dealing with the occasion a bit better?"
In other news, Max Watters is back training fully but is not expected to be available until next Friday's trip to Hull City.
Hoilett: Cardiff will be 'all guns blazing after poor Swans result'
Former Bluebird Junior Hoilett expects his old side to come out "all guns blazing" after being hammered 4-0 by their bitter rivals Swansea City last weekend.
Hoilett will know all about the rivalry between the two sides, having spent five years in the Welsh capital before leaving for pastures new last summer. He joined Reading and even scored the winner against the Bluebirds at Cardiff City Stadium back in October.
But the Canada international is expecting Cardiff to resemble a wounded animal at the Select Car Leasing Stadium this weekend, saying: “[Cardiff] were coming off a poor run last time we met and a poor result against Swansea this time - so they will be coming out all guns blazing on Saturday. We’ll just have to stick to the game plan and, like I said, stay secure and fight for each other, like we have been.
“We just have to go into the game with the same mentality as we did in the week, be secure throughout and on the front foot when we can. If we can go again against Cardiff and get the same result then that would make it a fantastic week.”
Hoilett has scored three goals in 22 appearances for the Royals this term.
Prutton predicts another Bluebirds defeat
Cardiff City will make it back-to-back defeats this weekend, according to Sky Sports pundit David Prutton.
The Royals have enjoyed a decent run of form of late and moved eight points clear of the bottom three with a 2-1 win against Stoke City in midweek, building on the point against relegation rivals Barnsley last weekend.
The Bluebirds are coming off the back of a positive March, for which Steve Morison won the division's Manager of the Month award, but the 4-0 defeat at the hands of Swansea last week has soured the mood around Wales' capital city club. And Prutton feels the momentum is with the Royals, with the former Southampton and Coventry City midfielder predicting a 1-0 win for Reading.
"What a big week for Reading. That late point at Barnsley, and then the win over Stoke," he said in his predictions feature for Sky Sports. "The gap is starting to look very, very healthy indeed over the bottom three - even though the Tykes still have a game in hand.
"It has been a bad week for Cardiff. They were hammered at home by Swansea last Saturday, which will not sit well with their fans at all. Steve Morison will want a response, but I think the Royals have the momentum for a home win."
