Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Tuesday, April 26.
International coach asks player to make call
Uganda want Uche Ikpeazu to pledge his allegiance to the country but the Cardiff City striker has requested more time.
Uganda coach Micho Sredojevic has revealed he wants the 27-year-old to make a decision on his international future and has made contact with him regarding his next steps.
“I’m telling you I have tried my best to convince him, including speaking to his mother when she has come here to help us talk to the boy but all has failed,” Sredojevic told the Daily Monitor. “I will approach him again. I will never give up on something that could be of our national interest.
"He is on loan, he can’t consolidate his place as coaches don’t see his top class more often. Uganda is his medicine to get total confidence. Once he serves Uganda well and gets more confidence, more doors to better clubs open.
“I hope he will find a place and logic in his heart and soul, and understanding in his mind that Uganda is his biggest chance, and equally that he is Uganda’s biggest chance. It’s win-win situation.”
READ MORE: Every word from Steve Morison ahead of Cardiff's trip to Boro
Ikpeazu, who qualifies for both England and Uganda, told the same publication: “I spoke to coach Micho and I told him to give me some time. I’m focusing on club football for now. I haven’t made a decision yet on my international football.”
On his situation at Cardiff, where he has scored three times in 13 appearances, he added: “So far I’ve done well... I’ve scored a few goals.”
Ikpeazu was called up to the Uganda squad by then coach Johnathan McKinstry for two 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches in March 2020, but the games were postponed due to Covid-19.
Blackpool among seven clubs rivalling Cardiff for target
Blackpool have made an offer for Ebou Adams and are one of eight Championship clubs chasing the Forest Green Rovers midfielder's signature, according to LancsLive.
WalesOnline revealed that the 26-year-old midfielder is a player who the Bluebirds really fancy, with Will Vaulks, Marlon Pack, Joe Ralls and Leandro Bacuna all currently heading out of contract in June. However, they are not alone in their interest.
LancsLive state that Blackpool have held meetings with Adams' representatives, who were impressed by head coach Neil Critchley. Adams’ entourage has also been invited to take in Blackpool’s final home game of the season against Derby County on Saturday.
On Tuesday, Forest Green Rovers boss Rob Edwards told GloucestershireLive : "With three of the lads who are out of contract; Kane, Cadds and Ebou; people are constantly asking questions. Ebou is somebody we’d love to keep at the football club.
"We have entered talks, but we’ll see how it all goes. I don’t want to focus on that right now, we have a game on Tuesday and then two more games after that. That’s my focus at the moment, and that needs to be Ebou’s focus as well. We’ll see where we’re at, but he’s somebody we’d love to have around next year."
Ratcliffe out of contract
Cardiff goalkeeper George Ratcliffe is out of contract at the end of the season, Steve Morison has revealed.
The Bluebirds shot stopper, 21, has been the No.3 for the majority of the campaign, behind Alex Smithies and Dillon Phillips. However, when it was decided that Smithies would leave the club, it was Rohan Luthra who took Phillips' spot on the bench following his promotion to No.1
Morison said it was because Ratcliffe had sustained an injury, however it has come to light that the Wales Under-21 international could well leave the club without playing a single game.
For a long time he was tipped as an excellent shot stopper and showed his quality while on loan with Cymru Premier side Barry Town United. His time never came for Cardiff's senior side, though, and it will likely transpire that he will leave the club without featuring once.
"He is out of contract," Morison said. Explaining his injury, he added: "He fell on his knee and he’s got an issue with his knee."
Cardiff are interested in signing a goalkeeper this summer and are growing confident about their chances of landing soon-to-be-out-of-contract Jak Alnwick, who currently plays for St Mirren. You can read more about that here.
Trialists confirmed
Steve Morison has confirmed the arrival of the trialists at Cardiff but could not divulge any further information on their identities or what the next steps are.
WalesOnline revealed that Brighton winger Jaami Qureshi and Lewes forward Ollie Tanner are on trial with the Bluebirds, with the former having featured in the under-23s' 2-1 win over Coventry City on Monday.
The Bluebirds are looking to overhaul their senior and under-23s squad this summer and these are the first tentative steps towards repopulating that side. "One of them played yesterday, Morison said. "The others are not in until the end of the week and the under-23s have a friendly next week, so they can have a look at them. We will run the rule over them and give our opinions on them, but it’s not my main focus at the minute."
Semenyo won't be thrown in
Steve Morison said he would not simply throw Jai Semenyo in at the deep end if Cody Drameh fails his late fitness test.
Drameh came off at half time against Sheffield United after suffering a bang on his knee and it is unknown whether he will be fit enough to face Middlesbrough on Wednesday night.
He has been an everpresent since joining from Leeds in January, with Perry Ng moving inside to a centre-back role. However, Morison said he would have to rejig things if Drameh is unavailable as he does not want to throw Semenyo in at the deep end.
"He is not quite ready yet," Morison said of the 18-year-old. "If Cody doesn’t make it then we will adjust somewhere else. I wouldn’t do that to Jai, they need to be ready. I don’t think he is quite ready for the Riverside, under the lights and on TV on a Wednesday night! But he will get there, just not yet."
