Perhaps the biggest indication of Cardiff City's strength in depth is the list of players who didn't play in that opening-weekend victory over title favourites Norwich City.
The Bluebirds came out 1-0 victors against the Canaries thanks to a goal from Romaine Sawyers, but when you take a look at the players who didn't even make the bench — Joel Bagan, Eli King, Oliver Denham, Vontae Campbell, Mark McGuinness and unfit trio Rubin Colwill, Ebou Adams and Isaak Davies among them — it makes the feat all the more impressive and paints a better picture for the campaign ahead than last season.
Another player who was absent was new signing Jaden Philogene. He was brought in two days before the Bluebirds' Championship curtain-raiser, but the buzz surrounding his arrival was quickly usurped by that win over the Canaries and subsequent fallout. The news of Tottenham striker Kion Etete signing perhaps pushed Philogene down that pecking order, too.
