Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Tuesday, January 3.
Eli King decision imminent
The decision on whether Eli King stays at Crewe for the rest of the season is imminent, according to Alex boss Lee Bell.
Midfielder King, who turned 20 two days before Christmas, has been in and out of the side in League Two, gaining some valuable experience this season.
And Bell said that a decision over King's future is expected to be resolved in the coming days.
"Some players of ours might want to go out on loan so we will see how that looks coming nearer the first week of January in terms of what bodies we will have in the building," Bell said last week.
“We have three boys on loan who we have had a discussion about. We have had conversations with them and their representative clubs. I won’t be saying anything on that because they are with us until January 2, they are able to be involved in the game on New Year’s Day. So, that will come to light as and when the news comes out whether they are staying or going back to their clubs.”
The Bluebirds academy product has started 10 games and made five appearances off the bench, with Crewe sitting 17th in the table.
When asked in November about what Cardiff's plans were for King, Hudson said: "If we focus on Kingy, for instance, he is away doing well with Crewe. It has been a great loan and experience for him already. Sometimes it may be better to go out and get a loan, get that development and come back, or sometimes maybe staying in the building and progressing throughout is better. It's something we talk about regularly.
"We have spoken about Kingy playing a full season where he is, learning about playing regularly, maybe missing a few games and then trying to fight your way back into a team, it's really important.
"He's been good so far, but it's about getting a block of games in, learning what different managers want from you, playing in different positions in the league. We speak to Kingy and his representatives regularly."
Cardiff 'exposed' amid 'worrying times'
Former Norwich City, West Ham and England striker Dean Ashton believes it is "worrying" times for Cardiff and has concerns over their lack of "firepower" up front.
The Bluebirds limped to a New Year's Day defeat at the hands of Blackburn Rovers on Sunday, leaving them only just above the relegation zone after going winless in seven games.
Speaking on the EFL highlights show on ITV, Ashton said: "Mark Hudson went with a different shape, three centre-halves, and Blackburn exposed that, particularly in the first half, playing balls over the top, [Ben] Brereton Diaz in particular.
"The goal came from that, albeit in the second half, great awareness from Brereton Diaz and Bradley Dack, who gets a little bit of good fortune. They deserved the win.
"There is a lack of firepower for Cardiff. The lowest scorers in the division, it's a tough period for them. They need some goals. They have Callum Robinson, [Kion] Etete is not available for them right now, he looked like he could be the guy. It's worrying times for them, I'd say."
Boss rules out move for defender
Meanwhile, Derby County boss Paul Warne has categorically ruled out a move for Cardiff City defender Curtis Nelson.
The Bluebirds centre-back has been out of favour this season, having fallen behind Perry Ng, Cedric Kipre and Jack Simpson in the pecking order.
It is understood that Nelson could be one of the players who leaves the Bluebirds this month. He has just six months left on his current deal and City, under a transfer embargo, are keen to free some room in their squad in order for them to add others for them to "staff up" to 23 players.
Derby have been credited with interest in Nelson, not only in this window but also back in the summer, with the League One club expected to be active in the January window.
They have also been linked with Graeme Shinnie, who plays for Wigan Athletic having moved there from Pride Park last summer, and Warne did not mince his words when asked about reported interest in both players.
Asked about the links to Nelson and Shinnie, Warne told DerbyshireLive: "Well Curtis Nelson, I was going to say no comment, but he gets mentioned every window and I have definitely said that there's no truth in that.
"Graeme Shinnie went to our game the other week because my son sat beside him and he said 'dad I guarantee you get linked with him'. So I've been linked with him because he was at our game the other day. That's it. So there ladies and gentlemen lies the Internet. It's absolute full of toot. So no truth."
Defender a 'rock' again
Mark McGuinness is currently pulling up trees at Sheffield Wednesday.
Cardiff have no intention of selling him, even though Owls boss Darren Moore has alluded to the League One club potentially asking the question, but it looks unlikely, at the minute, that they will recall the defender this month.
Should that be the case, then Wednesday's promotion prospects will be bolstered because McGuinness is earning rave reviews up at Hillsborough.
He has played 17 games for the Owls this term, starting 15, the most recent of which came in their 5-0 hammering of Cambridge United on Monday.
Our sister title, YorkshireLive, gave him an eight out of 10 player ratings, with the accompanying line: "We may as well copy and paste this section for McGuinness every game. A rock again."
He's making quite the impression.
Leeds' new signing could make debut at Cardiff
Leeds United have completed their first signing of the January transfer window with the capture of Red Bull Salzburg centre-back Max Wober and he could make his debut against the Bluebirds on Sunday.
The Austria international has joined for a fee believed to be in the region of £10million, that could rise to £14m including add-ons. That is comfortably more than Cardiff's entire squad cost.
The central defender has put pen to paper on a four and-a-half year contract that will keep him at Elland Road until June 2027.
He is still awaiting his work permit, but could make his debut for his new club at Cardiff City Stadium in the third round of the FA Cup this Sunday.
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