Cardiff City

Join Chris Wathan and BBC Sport Wales reporter Phil Marsh as they review Cardiff City's first eight games of the Championship season.

Listen on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Alex Robertson will remain at Cardiff City over the international break after withdrawing from Australia's squad to face Brazil.

Robertson, 23, pulled out for medical reasons after being called up for the Socceroos for the first time since missing out on selection for the summer's World Cup.

No details have been given on the injury, but the midfielder is set to stay in south Wales during a key period that Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy hopes will be "very beneficial" for the Bluebirds as they aim to edge key men closer to fitness.

That includes Dylan Lawlor, with the centre-back not involved in Wales' Nations League games having returned for his first minutes of the season as a late substitute in the 3-1 win over Charlton Athletic.

Fellow central defender Will Fish will also return to training, but Barry-Murphy warned there is no planned return date as yet for Calum Chambers, who is yet to kick a ball this season.

"This break will be very beneficial for us, we'll train a lot and improve a lot, particularly with a focus Dylan and Will Fish," said Barry-Murphy, who added he hoped Fish would be in contention to return when Cardiff take on Blackburn Rovers on 10 October.

"He did his first day last week, it's not full training, but he's making good progress but if we can use this break as we hope he should be in a much better place come the next game.

"Calum Chambers is not straightforward because he's looking longer term. It's not as imminent; he's happy his neck and back are in a good place, but he still has some issue with his knee with swelling and he's not been able to get rid of that."

Issak Davies and Rubin Colwill will also remain at the club's Vale of Glamorgan training base having missed out on the chance of Wales selection because of injury.

Five senior players will be on international duty, including Joel Colwill and Cian Ashford with Wales – the latter hoping to win his first cap after being drafted into Craig Bellamy's squad for Nations League games against Portugal, Denmark and Norway.

Joel Bagan is also hoping for a debut after being named in the Republic of Ireland squad for fixtures against Israel, Kosovo and Austria alongside midfielder Jack Moylan.

Summer signing Moylan made his international bow in May after his impressive season with Lincoln, the Dubliner scoring a hat-trick in the 5-0 win over Grenada, while Bagan had to withdraw from his first call-up through injury.

Meanwhile full-back Ronan Kpakio is expected to feature for Matty Jones' Wales Under-21s, who take on Belgium and Austria, with five other young Bluebirds in the squad including the 15-year-old Noah Anyadike.

We asked for your views after Cardiff City claimed a long-awaited first Championship win of the season.

Jack Moylan scored twice and Yousef Salech also found the target as the Bluebirds claimed a 3-1 home victory over Charlton Athletic.

Here are some of your opinions.

Ken: Let's hope this will kickstart the season. Past results have been promising where they should have won the game. Come on the Bluebirds.

Kevin: Great game and a well-deserved win.

Pete: Good performance and much-needed win. Buy a proven goalscorer at Championship level asap and we'll quickly move up the table.

Mark: Excellent all-round performance. Worked hard right through the team and took a couple of our chances.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff City defender Perry Ng says he expects the club to "batter some teams" moving forward as the Bluebirds finally put an end to their winless run.

The Bluebirds picked up their first league win of the season on Saturday lunchtime, as a brace from Jack Moylan and a strike from Yousef Salech saw them beat Charlton 3-1 at the Cardiff City Stadium.

The win had been a long time coming for Cardiff, who have been struggling to take advantage of their dominance in fixtures, despite registering the most shots of any team in the league.

And Ng, who wore the captain's armband against Charlton, praised the intensity of head coach Brian Barry-Murphy, who he described as the "perfect match" for the squad.

"Brian pushes everyone every day, there's no time to relax with him and I love that," said Ng.

"Even his meetings, you come out of it thinking 'let's go', and that's something I thrive on. I really feel his energy when he talks like that.

"Today we could have scored more, but if we keep working on the training pitch I think we will batter some teams as long as we don't concede sloppy goals."

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Victory came at the eighth time of asking for the Bluebirds, who have struggled in the early stages of their return to the Championship following promotion from League One last season.

But despite the previously winless start to the season, Ng says the players have not dropped their heads.

"We've been working hard every day, not been getting too down even though we haven't won," said Ng.

"We know the performances have been quite good and we've been unlucky in games.

"Today was another good performance; they couldn't cope with us, so it's good to get our first home win and get the place bouncing again.

"Hopefully we can go on a bit of a streak now."

The Bluebirds now have three weeks before their next Championship fixture, against Blackburn Rovers on 10 October, as the season pauses for the international window.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy says he is crossing his fingers that a late injury to striker Yousef Salech is not serious.

The Bluebirds striker returned to goal-scoring form on Saturday, scoring Cardiff's second in a 3-1 win over Charlton Athletic.

However the afternoon did not end as planned, as Salech injured his shoulder following an attempted header in the Charlton box.

The 24-year-old looked in considerable discomfort as he was replaced with his arm in a sling, clutching at his shoulder.

Speaking after the win, Cardiff boss Barry-Murphy says concerns about the severity of the injury eased following the game.

"He seems okay," said Barry-Murphy.

"We were concerned he may have damaged his shoulder but after the game he looks relatively okay, he looks relatively comfortable in the changing room."

Salech missed considerable time in the second half of last season after suffering a nerve injury in his neck and back against Stockport.

But Barry-Murphy says this latest knock is unrelated to his previous injury.

"He had that injury last season with the nerve issue, but it's unrelated," added Barry-Murphy.

"That was in his neck and back, this is just a shoulder injury.

"I've seen him in the changing rooms and it doesn't look bad. So fingers crossed."

Salech has three weeks to recover before Cardiff's next Championship game, away at Blackburn Rovers on 10 October.

Cardiff City boss Brian Barry-Murphy reacts after his side recorded their first Championship win of the season, beating Charlton Athletic 3-1 at home.

Read more: Moylan double ends Cardiff's winless start against Charlton

The latest news and views on the Bluebirds in two minutes, every weekday afternoon.

Listen on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Cardiff City and Charlton Athletic will hope to rediscover the winning habit when they meet on Saturday (12:30 BST).

The Bluebirds are yet to win a league game since returning to the second tier this season while Charlton's early form has deserted them with no victory from their past four outings

• Each of the past three league matches between Cardiff City and Charlton Athletic have been drawn, with this the first since a 0-0 stalemate in June 2020.

• Charlton have lost five of their past six away league games at Welsh clubs (D1), although their last win was at Cardiff in March 2015 (2-1).

• Along with Burnley, Cardiff are one of two sides yet to win a game in the Championship this season (P7 W0 D4 L3). Only in 1964-65 (11), 1989-90 (8), and 2018-19 (8) have the Bluebirds ever failed to win their first 8+ games of a league campaign.

• Charlton are winless in four league games (D3 L1), failing to score in their past three – the Addicks' longest scoreless streak since March 2023 (4 in a row).

• Only Millwall (58.5%) have won a higher proportion of their aerial duels in the Championship so far this season than Charlton (54.8%), while only Lincoln (1,907) have attempted fewer passes than the Addicks (2,190).

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff City are one of only one four teams throughout the EFL still waiting to register a first league victory of 2026-27.

Two of the other three – Burnley and Doncaster Rovers – are bottom of their respective divisions.

The other winless club, MK Dons, are 20th in League One having drawn five of their opening six league games.

Cardiff have four draws from seven outings, a return which leaves them 21st in the Championship and only outside the bottom three on goal difference.

The Bluebirds have a final chance to register a maiden victory before the season's first international break when Charlton Athletic come to Wales this Saturday.

A win would be timely, especially as there will be three weeks to wait for Cardiff's next game thanks to the newly elongated international window.

Yet a typically calm Brian Barry-Murphy has brushed off the suggestion that there is pressure to deliver a result, insisting the "only focus" for his players and staff is on trying to find a way past Charlton.

Image source, Getty Images

"The players gave it absolutely everything [Bolton] and it will be the same next weekend," the Cardiff head coach said.

Cardiff are unbeaten on their own ground in the league this season, where they have come behind on three occasions to secure three straight draws.

Having escaped with a point against Wrexham thanks to Rubin Colwill's last-gasp leveller on the opening weekend, Cardiff have come away from draws against Sheffield United and Stoke City believing they ought to have won.

Now the challenge for Barry-Murphy's players is to overcome a Charlton side who have not won in four matches but have lost only once in the league this season.

Nathan Jones' (pictured above) sixth-placed team have not scored many goals – Lincoln are the only club in the division with a lower tally – but have not conceded many either.

"We go back to our stadium where we have performed exceptionally well," Barry-Murphy added.

"If we play to the same level we have in recent games – not all the games because we weren't at the level we wanted to be at QPR and Portsmouth – then we will [start to] win for sure."

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Brian Barry-Murphy says Rubin Colwill is unlikely to be fit for Cardiff City's Championship meeting with Charlton Athletic this Saturday but says the Bluebirds' injury troubles will ease soon.

Colwill has missed Cardiff's past two games with an ankle issue which also means he is doubtful for Wales' four upcoming Nations League games.

But while Barry-Murphy says Colwill's ankle is "not right", the Bluebirds boss says Dylan Lawlor and Will Fish are both closing in on returns after significant lay-offs.

"We will see how Rubin is this week, but it's more likely that he will be back during the international break," Barry-Murphy said.

"On the horizon, Dylan Lawlor is going to be back, Rubin Colwill is going to be back, Will Fish is back fit, Calum Chambers [will be] slightly longer.

"Once we get those players back fit, we will be in a much stronger position."

Cardiff go in search of a first league win of the season when they host Nathan Jones' Charlton, who are sixth in the early league table having lost only one of their seven second-tier games so far.

Barry-Murphy's team were beaten in dispiriting fashion at Bolton last weekend despite controlling much of the contest, meaning they are only outside the relegation zone on goal difference having failed to win a league fixture this season.

Despite Cardiff's struggles, Barry-Murphy has indicated there is little prospect of the club trying to strengthen their squad by signing a free agent.

"Our focus is on the players who are here," he added.

"Working with them to improve them and give them the belief and the backing, that is the most important thing - and is something that has not always been associated with Cardiff City."

Wales kick off their new Nations League campaign in Portugal on 24 September before taking on Denmark in Odense three days later.

They then host Norway on 1 October and the Danes on 4 October.

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Seven games into Cardiff City's return to the Championship and Brian Barry-Murphy's side are still waiting for their first win.

Saturday's last-gasp defeat at Bolton Wanderers means the Bluebirds have four points to their name going into this weekend's visit of Nathan Jones' Charlton Athletic, the final fixture before the international break.

Is that a cause for concern? Or does the number of chances being created suggest it won't be long before Cardiff start racking up the wins on their return to the second tier?

Boss Barry-Murphy says he's confident - but how worried are you?

You can have your say by sending us your views here and we will publish a selection.

Bluebirds boss Barry-Murphy reflects as Bolton snatch all three points late on against winless Cardiff.

Luke Hemmings
BBC Sport Wales

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Boss Brian Barry-Murphy says Cardiff City are "starving" for their first Championship win as they prepare to face fellow promoted side Bolton Wanderers.

The Bluebirds are without a victory after six league matches but Barry-Murphy has no interest in discussing relegation fears so early in the season.

"We play for this club in front of our supporters. We have to produce enough end product and enough goalmouth action to give us a chance to score goals and win," the Cardiff head coach said.

"That's our sole focus. We're not complacent with anything we've done. Far from it.

" We're starving to produce a performance that allows us to win and win quickly."

Cardiff will aim to avoid a third successive defeat on the road as they take on Bolton on Saturday.

The Bluebirds' past two home games have been draws against Sheffield United and Stoke City.

Cardiff registered more than 60 shots across those two matches and enjoyed almost 70% possession.

Those numbers have reinforced Barry-Murphy's belief that his side are moving in the right direction.

"Certain parts of the performance are very satisfying and there are things we want to see all the time that have been very present," he said.

"The main focus is on the parts of the game we need to improve because if we do that quickly, it will help us achieve our objective, which is to win."

Bolton are also looking to address a poor run having lost four consecutive league matches.

But Barry-Murphy believes Steve Schumacher's side have developed since the clubs met in League One last season, when Cardiff won at home but lost 1-0 away after a late Amario Cozier-Duberry goal.

"They've evolved since last season and added quite a few players during the transfer window," he said.

"We understand how good they are and how difficult it was to beat them when we conceded a last-minute winner in their stadium. It's a game we're relishing."

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Midfielder Alex Robertson has praised Cardiff City's coaching staff for helping him settle in a deeper role.

The Australia international, who made 38 appearances last season, has been asked to play further back by boss Brian Barry-Murphy and is enjoying his new responsibilities.

"I'm just learning every day. I've got a great coach and staff to learn and develop from," Robertson said.

"I keep trying to play as many games as I can, and as many minutes as I can. I feel in a good place and I quite enjoy playing deep.

"'I get a bit more of the ball, but as long as I'm playing I don't really mind."

The versatile midfielder has impressed in his new role to earn praise from Barry-Murphy.

"I'm very pleased with him, his progress has been outstanding," said the head coach.

"Since Ryan Wintle left, the focus has been on Alex as a very creative player who has helped us so much going forward.

"We are just making him really aware of the defensive side of the game so that he can really help make us more secure.

"We're a very attacking team but we also have to be strong defensively."

The Bluebirds have struggled so far this season, drawing four and losing two of their opening six Championship games since returning to the second tier.

"There are quite a few boys that hadn't played in the Championship until this season," said Robertson ahead of Saturday's trip to play Bolton Wanderers.

"It's going to take a bit of time to adapt and the way we play is obviously special. It's different to most teams.

"We need to keep trying to adapt to the league and the differences from last season, but we're coming good and hopefully we can get over the line and just keep pushing on."