Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Monday, April 17.
Ebou Adams starts for U21s
Ebou Adams' long-awaited first game back from injury occurred today as the midfielder started for Darren Purse's under-21s against Coventry City.
The Gambia international, who was signed on a free after leaving Forest Green Rovers, ripped his pectoral muscle off the bone 10 minutes into his debut, a pre-season friendly against Cambridge United, and has not been seen since.
He underwent surgery around Christmas time to "clean up" something on his knee, but that rehabilitation appears to have hit setbacks along the way, too.
But there was a glimmer of hope when he trained last Wednesday in front of fans at Cardiff City Stadium in an open session, with manager Sabri Lamouchi cautiously saying "let's see" when asked whether he would play any part for the first team with only five games to go.
For the moment, though, him starting against Coventry will be a huge relief for him. But it wasn't the return he was hoping for, with the Sky Blues racing into a first-half lead through Justin Obikwu and a Will Bapaga penalty.
Adams was taken off at the break, with 45 minutes in his legs for the first time in almost a year, and was replaced by Cameron Antwi.
But despite the obvious good news of Adams returning, it was a pretty miserable afternoon for Purse's men in the Midlands, with Bapage netting his second penalty of the match in the second half to make it 3-0 to the hosts.
Earnshaw: Watford is now a must-win
Bluebirds legend Robert Earnshaw believes Wednesday's meeting with Watford is a 'must-win", but is confident his old club can avoid the drop.
The weekend's results mean Cardiff are out of the bottom three only on goal difference, largely thanks to Reading's six-point deduction, too, following the chastening 4-1 defeat by Sheffield United.
And, speaking on Sky Sports after the match, Earnshaw said: "It is really, really tough. I look at Watford next, that's a must-win. Stoke is a must-win, Rotherham is a must-win, then Huddersfield.
"Burnley is going to be the toughest one - but every game is now a must-win.
"I believe they will stay up. If they perform like this (against Sheffield United), which was way better than last weekend, then they give themselves a chance.
"They are making it so, so difficult. It's been a really bad year for them."
First half at Sheffield 'best Cardiff have played under Lamouchi'
Despite the obvious drawbacks from the 4-1 defeat, pundit Sam Parkin believes Cardiff's first-half performance at Bramall Lane was the best they have been under Sabri Lamouchi.
The Frenchman has had a mixed tenure so far, winning four, drawing one and losing eight of his 13 games at the helm, and his Cardiff side are perilously close to the drop zone.
But former Swindon Town and Ipswich Town striker Parkin believes there is a lot to be positive about after the first 45 minutes in Sheffield.
"There's lots of optimism, it's probably as good as they've played under him in that first half," Parkin said on ITV's EFL highlights show.
"Just a few errors cost them dearly. But there's a lot to be buoyant about."
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