Sheffield United travel to the Welsh capital this weekend a day later than those which will play their first encounters of the new season on Saturday.
Blades boss Kevin Blackwell has worked hard over the summer and could hand debuts to; Johannes Ertl (Crystal Palace), Daniel Bogdanovic (Barnsley) and Leon Britton (Swansea City) could make their first team debuts since signing in the summer.
Meanwhile; Steve Simonsen (Stoke City), Robert Kozluk (Barnsley), Nyron Nosworthy (Sunderland) have also signed deals with United and could make their second debuts this Sunday.
New signing Simon Walton (Plymouth Argyle) is sidelined for the season whilst Darius Henderson and Lee Williamson (back) are out of action via injury.
Blades last line-Up (02/05/2010 at Ipswich Town): Paddy Kenny, Gary Naysmith, Chris Morgan, Nyron Nosworthy, Kyle Bartley, Matthew Lowton, Nick Montgomery, Mark Yeates, James Harper, Ched Evans, Richard Cresswell. Substitutes: Glen Little, Marcel Seip, Derek Geary, Mihkel Aksalu, Jonathan Fortune, Nathan Foster, Kingsley James.
Cardiff City are one of the bookies favourites to win promotion to the Premier League this seson; though a summer of fanancial uncertainty and a recent transfer embargo could put pay to any promotion push.
They were beaten finalists in the Championship Play-Off Final - Blackpool overturning the Bluebirds in a emphatic 3-2 victory in London last May.
The last two meetings between City and the Blades were both tight games, but contrasting scorelines. The fixture at Bramall Lane was a 3:4 thirller in favour of Dave Jones' men, with Peter Whittingham netting a hat-trick. The reverse fixture in South Wales saw United snatch a point thanks to Stephen Quinn after Kyle Bartley's mistake allowed Jay Bothroyd to break the deadlock.
The Bluebirds' last line-up (22/05/2010 at Wembley vs Blackpool): David Marshall, Kevin McNaughton, Darcy Blake, Mark Hudson, Mark Kennedy, Chris Burke, Joe Ledley, Stephen McPhail, Peter Whittingham, Michael Chopra, Jay Bothroyd. Substitutes: Peter Enckelman, Tony Capaldi, Paul Quinn, Anthony Gerrard, Kelvin Etuhu, Aaron Wildig, Ross McCormack.
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