For the second year in a row, Cardiff City enter the January transfer window with a firefighting job on their hands.
Only this time, things are a lot more difficult. The Bluebirds have to operate within the parameters of a transfer embargo this month, which means strengthening their squad will not be a straightforward task.
Last season, the Bluebirds brought in five loan players in the winter window and it ultimately saved their season. Will they be able to do that this time around? Well, they have to find a way.
READ MORE: Angry Callum Robinson storms down the tunnel after substitution as Hudson explains what happened
Here, we take a look at the best and worst-case scenarios for City this month...
The best-case scenario
Of course, the best way to lift all of this problematic weight on their shoulders is to get the transfer embargo lifted. The club have continued to tow the line that they are "confident" that the ban will be lifted, with Mark Hudson consistently repeating that talks behind the scenes continue at a pace.
That makes the whole month a lot easier. No restrictions, no player quotas to be filled, an all together more palatable situation.
Whether the embargo can be lifted in time for City to do any meaningful trading this month remains to be seen, though. In truth, it looks like it's going to be hard going to get out of it this month.
So, if that does prove to be the case, what next? Well, Cardiff can make a good fist of things, if everything else goes smoothly, despite being under the embargo.
Cardiff currently have 22 players of "professional standing" in their squad, according to the EFL criteria, and are able to "staff up" to 23 players. So at present, they can bring in one player, either as a free agent or on loan.
But we know Cardiff are trying to get players out of the door this month to try to free-up room on their playing staff, allowing them to bring in other new faces.
Curtis Nelson is someone who could leave this month. He has just six months left to run on his contract, but Cardiff could look to cash in now and kill two birds with one stone. It would not be a total surprise to see him leave in the coming weeks.
Vontae Campbell is another who has been earmarked to head out on loan, that would be another space freed up. Jak Alnwick hasn't been in the last few matchday squads, might he be another to afford City some room on the roster? It would make sense. There may be others, too.
There needs to be, anyway, because Cardiff have to make enough room to loan in at least two or three players this month in order to spark their lifeless forward line into action.
A striker and a creative force in midfield are absolute must-haves on Hudson's shopping list. A more fit-for-purpose left-back, which would see Callum O'Dowda being deployed further up the pitch again, would be a luxury, too.
The best-case scenario, failing the lifting of a transfer embargo, would see City clear four or five players off the books and bring in a similar number, preferably of Premier League or high-Championship quality, to aid their failing attack.
The worst-case scenario
The absolute worst-case scenario would be for Cardiff not to have their embargo lifted and for the recruitment of forward options to prove too tricky.
The Bluebirds need goals to stave off relegation, that is the bottom line here, and not being able to bring in a striker and/or creative midfield player would be a total disaster.
There is an over-reliance on Callum Robinson, a very good operator at this level, who has played a lot of his football out on the wing for his previous clubs. Should anything happen to him, as we saw against Coventry City, Cardiff's forward line looks alarmingly devoid of quality.
He needs help. So, too, does the midfield. Joe Ralls and Andy Rinomhota are more industrious, battling midfielders, and while Ryan Wintle has been excellent for City in 2022, he operates in a deeper-lying position and tries to dictate play from there.
Rubin Colwill is a big talent but his moments of real quality have been few and far between, as is normal for a player at the beginning of his career, while Romaine Sawyers has been a major disappointment, it must be said.
Cardiff need someone else in there to help create more clear-cut chances for the forward. Someone to split open defences, rather than shifting the ball constantly out to the wing, only to cross it in to small strikers who are battling with giant defenders. Not bringing in more creativity would be a major booboo.
No embargo lift, no striker and no creative player would be the worst-case scenario this month. A scenario which could shorten the odds on City slipping out of the division.
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