Leeds United v Cardiff City team news: New injury for key man and international not ready

Experienced goalkeeper Ryan Allsop started 43 of Cardiff’s 46 league games last season but new Bluebirds boss Erol Bulut has revealed that Allsop suffered an injury in the club’s final pre-season friendly against Wycombe Wanderers and will likely miss Sunday’s clash in West Yorkshire.

Jak Alnwick, who has played just seven times for Cardiff, is instead heading for a start in goal for a team who will still be without Romaine Sawyers despite his return to training this week after extended international duty with Saint Kitts and Nevis and a minor knee injury.

Speaking at Thursday’s pre-match press conference as quoted by cardiffcityfc.co.uk, Bulut said: “Ryan Allsop got a small injury in our last friendly match, so it’s looking like he will not be with us this weekend. Jak Alnwick will be good in goal with us and will handle it well."

Of Sawyers, Bulut added: “He started with us this week but he’s not on the level where we can use him. Small problems with his knee. He has recovered from that but he’s in training with us. We have to see the following days and weeks.”

Bult also provided updates on Mark McGuinness, Joe Ralls, Yakou Meite and Rubin Colwill who have all either been missing or had injury issues lately.

“Yakou Meite and Macca (McGuinness), they are also in training,” said the Cardiff boss. “Also Joe Ralls, I think and hope they will also be with us in Leeds. He (Colwill) is also in training and fully with us.”