Wales manager Craig Bellamy has eased the injury fears surrounding Cardiff City defender Dylan Lawlor.
The Bluebirds man impressed in their heartbreaking World Cup play-off defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina last Thursday evening.
On Tuesday, he was introduced as a half-time substitute against Northern Ireland, but was withdrawn after just 15 second-half minutes through injury.
Initial Thoughts
Lawlor has enjoyed an excellent campaign in League One this season, which has coincided with his selection for the Welsh national side. First called up for their World Cup Qualifying clash with Belgium last June, he made his international bow against Kazakhstan following an unbeaten start to the third-tier season. He started all six matches for the league leaders in the opening month of the campaign, keeping five consecutive clean sheets.
It’s been a rapid rise for the 20-year-old centre-half, who made his senior debut for Cardiff barely one year ago. That was one of two appearances in the 24/25 campaign, breaking through at his boyhood club this term. Lawlor made headlines at the end of February, scoring a brilliant solo goal against Doncaster Rovers, which was recently awarded League One Goal of the Month.
Speaking after the fixture against Northern Ireland yesterday evening, Bellamy gave a positive update on the fitness of Lawlor.
“He took a kick. He wanted to stay on, but I’m like, ‘No. You’ve got a run-in that you need to be a part of.’ I’m sure he’ll be fine.
“But why would I take the chance? I’d love him to be part of a promotion team. What that would do for his development as well would be incredible for him, and the club he’s at as well.”
Positive News
Cardiff have been given an unexpected boost this international break. The majority of League One clubs have been disadvantaged by fixtures being played on Friday, instead of the usual Saturday, following the recent international fixtures. That gives those players less time to recover, with many returning to their clubs today.
However, Cardiff are one of only two third-tier clubs that won’t be in action on Good Friday. Their clash against Port Vale has been pushed back to the end of April following the Valiants’ progression in the FA Cup. The bottom side in the division are the lowest-ranked team remaining in the competition and host Chelsea on Saturday teatime.
That allows Brian Barry-Murphy’s outfit to watch the rest of the action in League One this week with great interest. They currently hold an 11 point advantage over third-place Bolton Wanderers, who have a tough clash at Plymouth Argyle in two days’ time. With seven games to go, there is a chance the South Wales side could be promoted in the coming games, with a trip to Peterborough United next up on Easter Monday.
A season-defining clash against Bolton next Saturday lunchtime could be the day that Cardiff return to the Championship at the first time of asking.
