Here are the Cardiff City headlines for Monday, August 29.
Cardiff's Ollie Tanner plan after 'baptism of fire'
Cardiff fans are unlikely to see too much of Ollie Tanner in the coming months, but manager Steve Morison is adamant the plan they have in place for him will stand him in good stead in the long term.
Tanner came from the Isthmian League with Lewes FC and has stepped up seven tiers to join the Championship outfit amid interest from a number of rival clubs.
He looked bright in pre-season, but off the pace in the League Cup defeat by Portsmouth.
It's understandable, too, given he is only 20 and has never worked in a professional football environment. Morison understands the toll that might have taken on him and hopes to bed him in slowly over the next few months.
"It was a baptism of fire, the first couple of months, and he started to feel a few bits and bobs he wouldn't have felt before," Morison said of the winger.
"There is a plan in place for him. He will be in and around, he will train loads and pick up minutes with the under-21s between now and January, just to get him used to the rigours of full-time football.
"We are just managing him and he will be better for it at the back end of the season."
Eli King's Crewe debut 'sensational'
Crewe boss Alex Morris was full of praise for Bluebirds youngster Eli King during his debut for the club on Saturday.
Thrown straight in against Bradford City last weekend, King played the full 90 minutes in central midfield during the goalless draw. However, Morrison said his performance was "sensational".
That certainly bodes well for Cardiff, who will be keen onlookers as the 19-year-old Wales youth international plots his first meaningful steps in the English Football League.
Crewe manager Morris said: “It was a sensational debut from Eli. We know he’s a good footballer but what we’ve also got is an incredible athlete.
“Him and Conor Thomas, as a pair, will probably cover more distance than any other pair in this league.
“They are outstanding athletes who can play. They formed a really good partnership in terms of providing a screen to the back four; they can get on the front foot and win the ball back, and I’m sure that partnership with grow.
“Eli is such a level-headed boy and we had no reservations about throwing him in straight away.”
Injury bulletin as star a doubt for Luton
Callum O'Dowda is a doubt for the Bluebirds' clash with Luton Town on Tuesday night after he sustained a hip issue in the game with Preston North End at the weekend.
"Tomorrow might come too soon, but we will give him every opportunity and see what happens. He will be all right for the weekend," Morison said of the Republic of Ireland international.
Ebou Adams, meanwhile, is "flying" through his rehabilitation and is expected to return to training next week ahead of the Hull City game, however he is unlikely to feature in the clash with the Tigers.
Adams underwent surgery after ripping his pectoral muscle off the bone in his first pre-season outing for the Bluebirds.
"He is flying," Morison said of Adams. "We hope, all being well, by the time we get to the Hull game, he will have had a full week's training by then.
"I'm not saying he will be ready to play, but he will be ready to start having an involvement."
Isaak Davies has had a little setback with his rehabilitation from a knee injury, which will see him sidelined for a few weeks yet. You can read all about that here.
Kion Etete is also out for a short period, too, which you can read about here.
U21s in action tomorrow
Darren Purse's under-21s are to return to action on Tuesday afternoon just hours before the senior team take on Luton.
The young Bluebirds hope to get back to winning ways after suffering their first defeat of the new campaign against Reading last time out.
“The first team play three games in a week quite a lot, and the young lads have to realise that,” Purse said. “After a defeat like we had against Reading it’s important to be able to pick yourselves up.
"The physical and mental exertions of that are part of the game, and that’s what the boys are learning to deal with as they continue their progression.
"We want to be putting in performances at home for the supporters who've turned out to watch us, and it will be a different occasion at Leckwith compared to our last time out at CCS.
"The boys will need to bounce back from our last result and look to continue our winning run in the league."
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