Tonight’s Cardiff City news as Bulut confident player will sign new deal and star in line for return at Stoke City
The latest Bluebirds news from Cardiff City Stadium
This is your daily round-up of all things Cardiff City. WalesOnline has compiled the latest Bluebirds stories of the day, but to ensure you never miss a thing, make sure you sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter to get breaking news sent straight to your inbox. You can sign up here.
We have also launched a WalesOnline Cardiff City WhatsApp service, too, so you can get each story pinged straight to your phone. You can sign up for that right here. Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Thursday, November 2.
Collins contract talks under way
Erol Bulut is confident Jamilu Collins will sign a new deal “soon” as he confirmed talks are ongoing over his contract.
The Nigerian started last season magnificently before an ACL injury put him out for the entire season. But he has been top notch once again this term, despite the lengthy injury lay-off, and fans are clamouring for him to pen a new deal. Well, Bulut has allayed any concerns that he will walk away for free next summer.
We are in talks,” Bulut said of Collins’ contract situation. “We are satisfied with him. He’s doing well after the big injury he had, it’s not easy to come back and show a good performance.
“JC is doing well so of course, we want to renew the contract. Our guys are still talking with his agent and him. I think soon maybe we will get an agreement.”
READ MORE: Cardiff City already working on January transfer deals as Erol Bulut names how many players he wants in
PRESS CONFERENCE: Read every word from Erol Bulut ahead of the Bluebirds’ clash with Stoke City
Etete to return for Stoke City clash
Bulut also confirmed Kion Etete will return to the fold for this weekend’s trip to Stoke City.
The forward has missed the last four games with a hamstring injury, but it now looks as though he will be back for the trip to the Potteries this weekend to add competition up front. Bulut said: “Yakou (Meite), he’s back now, Kion Etete is back. Only Aaron Ramsey and Callum O’Dowda are still preparing (to get back).”
The Cardiff boss said Ramsey and O’Dowda are “not at the level” to be available for Wales and Republic of Ireland duty respectively when the next batch of international matches roll around in a couple of weeks. However, he was positive regarding Ramsey’s progress.
“I think as fans, they can be involved and watch the games – I don’t think they can play,” he added. “I would hope they could play, but they are not at the level right now. They still need a little bit more time.
“With Aaron, it looks like he will be back earlier than how we were expecting. O’Dowda will need more time, but right now they are both doing well.”
Bluebirds on target for loan club in shootout win
Sheyi Ojo and Isaak Davies were both on target in KV Kortrijk’s penalty shootout win in the Belgian Cup against Dender.
Ojo started the match for the Vincent Tan-owned side, while Davies, who has been in good form having netted three goals for his new club, was introduced after an hour with the game locked at 1-1. The tie went to penalties and Ojo stepped up first for KVK and converted. Davies took the fourth penalty for his side and made no mistake as Kortrijk ran out 4-3 winners in the shootout.
In other loan news, Eli King made his return to action for Morecambe on Tuesday night. The Wales under-21 international had missed the last five games for the Shrimpers due to injury, having been a mainstay in their midfield for the first portion of the season. However he came off the bench after 56 minutes in the 1-0 defeat against Barrow.
Ramsey becomes ambassador after close friend’s heartbreak
Aaron Ramsey has become an ambassador for Save a Life Cymru after citing the tragedy and heartbreak which befell Bluebirds club doctor Len Nokes.
Nokes’ daughter Claire sadly passed away at the age of 25 after a heart attack and the Bluebirds’ much-loved doctor, as well as the club, have been central to raising awareness around the importance of CPR in recent years. Now, Ramsey has become an ambassador for the NHS and Welsh Government initiative and is urging people to learn vital CPR and defib skills.
“Save a Life Cymru does important work to raise awareness of cardiac arrest within the community,” Ramsey said. “It is something I am passionate about and I’m proud to be named as one of their ambassadors. I’ve been very close to Len Nokes, my team doctor, since I was a teenager. We’re all one big family, and I wanted to do something that helps raise awareness and support Len.
“Now I’ve received CPR familiarisation training with the FAW, I feel confident I could intervene if I was in a difficult situation and witnessed a cardiac arrest. I think many people might feel like they might injure the person or do something wrong, but that is not the case. Even if you haven’t had any training and you are in this situation, call 999 and they will talk you through everything – doing something is better than doing nothing.
“Learn CPR. It only takes 15 minutes to become aware of the basic skills. You could take some time to teach yourself during half time watching a football match – that’s how quick it is to learn CPR. It could be the most important life lesson and the difference between life and death.”
Nokes said: “It’s great to have Aaron on board supporting Save a Life Cymru and our “Help is closer than you think” campaign. It’s something that’s particularly important for me – after losing my daughter Claire to cardiac arrest at 25 years old. If someone is unconscious and they’re not breathing normally, it’s likely they’re having a cardiac arrest. We want to make sure that every person has the best chance of surviving – so educating people on spotting the signs, the importance of calling 999 and starting CPR is crucial.
“We need to build confidence and show people they’re not on their own. Call 999, they will tell you what to do, where your nearest defib is located and send an ambulance. I’d also encourage people to take time to learn CPR – you never know when you’ll need to put those skills into action.
