Cardiff City without key pair as Erol Bulut outlines his Leeds United lessons

Erol Bulut insists his Cardiff City side will play with no fear this weekend as they welcome Leeds United to South Wales. The Bluebirds have struggled for consistency in the Championship of late, picking up just three wins in their last nine league outings.

However, after their win over QPR on New Year's Day, they sit ninth in the league table and they know a win over Leeds would be enough to carry them to the brink of the play-off picture. The Welsh outfit will take confidence from their win in west London last time out, while they'll also be keen to look back to the opening day of the season when they picked up a point against the Whites at Elland Road.

Leeds needed a stoppage time equaliser from Crysencio Summerville to save themselves from an embarrassing opening day defeat on that occasion and Bulut believes his side can take plenty from that contest.

"It will be a tough game against Leeds, we know about their quality, but of course we will not hide on Saturday," he said during his pre-match press conference on Thursday, as per Wales Online. "We will try to give our best on the field to get the points for us.

“Their squad, we don’t need to speak so much about that. They have a different squad to us. They took one or two players, one or two left the team. We didn’t get anyone in yet but I hope in a while

"The first game in Leeds was a good game for us. We could have won but we lost two points in the 96th minute. The teams now know each other better, what they are playing against, so I hope we can manage the game well to have a win or at least a point, to show we will do everything to take points.”

On the atmosphere he is expecting on Saturday, he added: “These kind of games for players are always good. Players in games try to give more percent to show themselves and to have the win. To try to win the game. It’s a special game. Is it Leicester, Southampton, Leeds, these kind of teams, for players, are always good.”

Aaron Ramsey made his third debut for the Bluebirds against Leeds back in August, but the Wales international won't be involved this weekend and neither will Callum O'Dowda, Bulut has confirmed.

“Aaron I think next week, 10 days, he will start with the team," he said. "He is doing well. I hope he can continue then without any problems and he can be in the team. [O'Dowda] was starting with us and then he got a small injury."