Town boss Roy Keane is yet to decide whether to include new loan signing Stern John in his starting XI at Cardiff City on Sunday (KO 3pm). The Blues manager will assess the Trinidadian’s fitness at training today and on Saturday before making a decision.

Keane has no new injury worries, aside from Alex Bruce, who is out for two or three weeks with the groin injury he sustained in last week’s 0-0 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.

The Town manager has confirmed that Gareth McAuley will come back into the starting line-up alongside Damien Delaney at the heart of the defence with David Wright and Liam Rosenior set to continue on the left and the right respectively.

In midfield, Keane has been trying to fit in both Jon Walters and Carlos Edwards, despite both preferring to play on the right. Edwards started on the left last week with Walters on the right and despite making a switch around at half-time which saw Walters up front and Edwards back in the right, the Blues could again line-up in the same way.

Keane was pleased with Owen Garvan’s display against Wednesday and the Irish U21 skipper will probably keep his place alongside Grant Leadbitter in the centre.

The Blues boss has shown in the past that he is happy to throw new signings straight into the side, so Stern John may well be included from the off, probably alongside Tamás Priskin, who showed some clever touches last week, despite not looking particularly dangerous in front of goal. Two from Jon Stead, Connor Wickham and Pablo Couñago will be on the bench.

Keane admits he was disappointed to lose loan keeper Asmir Begovic earlier in the week when he was recalled by Portsmouth: “We knew all along that when you’ve got a loan goalkeeper there’s a chance that they could be called back. We’ve got two other good goalkeepers at the club and they’ll get their chance on Sunday.”

The Blues boss says he will decide whether to recall Richard Wright or give Arran Lee-Barrett his Town debut over the next couple of days, but says he’ll have no worries about recalling the former England man: “I’ve not decided which one I’ll go with, but I’ll have no problem putting Wrighty back in. He’s a top keeper, but we felt he needed a break.”

Keane says Cardiff, currently fifth in the table, 14 points ahead of the second-bottom Blues with a home record of won four, drawn two, lost two, will prove a stiff challenge for his side: “Cardiff have been building nicely over the last few years. Dave Jones has got a good squad and a top striker in Michael Chopra and it’s certainly going to be a test for us.

“Our form hasn’t been too bad lately, but again we’ve not been scoring enough goals and that always puts you under pressure. However, we’re looking forward to the game.

“The players are in good spirits, obviously we’ve got a new signing with Stern and we’ve got a new coach, ‘Charlie’ McFarland, the ex-Notts County manager, so we’ve got a couple new faces on the training ground and we’re looking forward to the game.”

The Blues will be making their first appearance at the new Cardiff City Stadium, Keane having made his Town bow in Ninian Park’s final game last season. The match was switched to Sunday at the request of the police due to a rugby international taking place in the city on Saturday.

Cardiff midfielder Stephen McPhail is suffering with a stage one MALT lymphoma and is currently undergoing treatment which will keep him out of action until the new year, but is expected to make a full recovery.

Full-back Kevin McNaughton has a hamstring problem and is likely to miss out on Sunday, but Jay Bothroyd (knee tendon) and Anthony Gerrard (calf strain) are expected to be fit to face the Blues.

Young full-back Adam Matthews, who has been linked with a move to Manchester United, is also expected to be fine after a groin injury.

Striker Warren Feeney, whose grandfather Jim played for Town in the 1950s, has joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan, while full-back Tony Capaldi has moved to Leeds on a similar basis.

Bluebirds boss Dave Jones says Roy Keane will be a success at Town but that patience is required when a side is being rebuilt: "Roy has gone in and done a good job. Sometimes when results don't go the right way there is speculation.

"Ipswich have good players, they've brought good players in, and Roy is trying to mould them into the team he wants. That doesn't happen straight away.

"They've picked up some good results and had near misses trying to turn draws into wins. The culture now seems to be that if somebody loses some games, they've got to go.

"We're all under pressure from day one, win lose or draw because the expectation levels at every football club are really high.

"Some clubs show patience with managers, some don't. I don't see clubs that change their managers a lot at the top of the league. Patience and time in football are commodities that don't go together too well.

"We all know the situation and Roy knows it better than anybody. He's come out and said he's building for the future."

Town keeper Arran Lee-Barrett was with Cardiff between 2003 and 2005 after leaving Norwich’s youth set-up but made only one substitute appearance for the Bluebirds. No Cardiff player has previously represented the Blues.

Town have the upper hand historically, winning 15 (13 in the league), drawing 10 (10) and losing 10 (nine).

Last season, the Bluebirds won 2-1 at Portman Road in December, Jay Bothroyd and Gabor Gyepes netting for the Welshmen and Jon Stead scoring for Town, who had Ben Thatcher sent off for two bookable offences.

The Blues won the return fixture, the penultimate of the season, the last at Ninian Park and Roy Keane’s first in charge of Town, 3-0 with Pablo Couñago, David Norris and Jon Stead on the scoresheet. Richard Wright saved a Ross McCormack penalty.

Sunday’s referee is Jarnail Singh from Hounslow, who has shown 41 yellow and no red cards in 11 games so far this season. Singh’s last Town game was the 3-2 home victory over Scunthorpe in December 2007 in which he booked only the Iron’s Jim Goodwin.

Squad from: R Wright, Lee-Barrett, Rosenior, D Wright, Delaney, McAuley, Smith, Brown, Leadbitter, Garvan, Quinn, Healy, Trotter, Colback, Walters, Edwards, Peters, Martin, John, Priskin, Stead, Couñago, Wickham.

Photo: Action Images

BurleyForever added 13:31 - Nov 27 Take a gamble Keano put Wickham & Stern John up front to start
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Solly added 13:32 - Nov 27 I'd definitely give Wickham a start; but, alongside Priskin, not John. Leave John on the bench as an impact sub, on the hour. Feel we could have let Stead go on loan to be honest, because I think we've got one too many strikers in the pack now.
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Surco72 added 13:34 - Nov 27 Won 3-0 there last season with Jims crap team !! lets see what Roys boys can do?
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SeriouslyDelusional added 13:40 - Nov 27 Small matter of Gio and Norris in the team that beat them 3-0 tho Surco. Reckon we'd be looking at the same score with those two in the current team. Surely Keane wouldn't go with Lee-Barrett? That would be a massive kick in the gonads for RW if he did.
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LeadbitterIsBeast added 13:46 - Nov 27 i really do hope edwards plays on the right, he has a strong partnership with rosenior, and put walters on left...and personally, id put John and, hm Stead upfront! COYB!
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mugsykets added 13:47 - Nov 27 If he does play Stern John, all you Tractor Boys lucky enough to be there, get behind him, make some noise!
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TedTurnip added 13:57 - Nov 27 blah, blah, blah, blah
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PablosRightBoot added 14:17 - Nov 27 R.Wright, Delaney, MacAuley, D.Wright, Rosenior, Edwards, Walters, Garvan, Leadbitter, Priskin, John.......I think the team pretty much picks itself
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naa added 14:30 - Nov 27 PablosRightBoot: not sure if that was intended as a joke, considering that Keane changes at least 2 players per game - often more. Not that I disagree with your statement, mind.
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Nunn_the_Wiser added 14:32 - Nov 27 I agree with pablosrightboot, except i would maybe throw wickham in for priskin, who in my opinion is too lightweight and doesn't look a goal threat.
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superblueflude added 14:38 - Nov 27 Naa - your comments on team changing do leave a lot to be desired, i remember reading one of your comments a couple of games back, saying i bet Keane makes changes again - but you also kept saying that Garvan should start, D.Wright should start, R.Wright should start etc - surely players have to be replaced to allow these back in doesnt it? For example Bruce is injured - so surely he must keep his place - Berkovic has gone so surely we shouldnt play a goal keeper, Apparantly Wickham is not a star for the future but for now so surely he must come in, yet counago is fantastic so he must feature, and Walters must be on the pitch to so he must play, but then again, Stead has scored recently so he must again be considered. John has just joined and could be useful but he cant play at all as that would mean changing a team. Come on naa we have discussions on Keanes decisions but your contstant negativity against team selection is laughable. I remember following the derby game you said how the team looked better when the subs came on, and then before teh next game you moaned again about Keane changing the starting line up , but surely for your subs to be effective surely they would have had to start that game and therefor Keane chaning the team?! hope you get my point

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Surco72 added 14:42 - Nov 27 Pablorightsfoot i agree with team apart from Stead for Priskin ,Stead has a good record against Cardiff as stated above .Depends how fit John is ?
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superblueflude added 14:43 - Nov 27 Being away from home against a team like cardiff - would you guys consider a 532 tommorow? throwing in smith with Mcauley and Delaney? although a negative formation, for a tough game like thsi i wouldnt be going all out for the win would you?
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SeriouslyDelusional added 14:52 - Nov 27 PablosRightBoot - I reckon Keane would look at the team you have put down and ask where the pace is going to come from. Some of his stranger decisions (like starting Martin and sometimes Peters) seem to be based on the desire to have someone with a bit of a zip, otherwise it all looks a bit one paced, with the possible exception of Edwards. So I wouldn't be surprised to see either Martin or Peters in the starting eleven on Sunday

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naa added 14:53 - Nov 27 super: kindly leave me alone! I still haven't forgiven you for naming and completely mis-quoting me in your blog. Your point is also childish. Fans have their own opinions on team selection, they always will have. No manager will ever pick a team that we're all happy with. But Keane should know his best 11 by now - or at least his best 10. But he doesn't. Not at all. Just because I think he should change this or that doesn't mean he should. Anyway, I didn't complain about players changing after he tweaked the front two, as you claim I did. I also catagorically said that just because Stead scored doesn't mean he should start next game. I know the eleven I'd play and what I would also do - injry permitting - is play them for more than 50 feckin' mintues before deciding it didn't work and then never playing them again. So sorry, your constant positivity and 'explanations' for constant team changing is laughable.

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BlueBadger added 15:02 - Nov 27 He's going to have o work fast with John. He's only got 4 weeks in which to inexplicably drop him and then reinstate him to the team.
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brockleyblueboy added 15:04 - Nov 27 Good luck to the boys on Sunday. I don't reckon we will lose but draws won't keep us in the league. Why don't we play 3 up front? Hopefully with our recent defensive form we should have enough confidence to push forward. With McFarland at the club (the first striker minded coach we have had for a while since old Big Face JR) he should instill some wisdom and self belief in them to get us the goals. Who wants quids in for the correct score? I reckon a hard fought 2-1 win for the Town

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superblueflude added 15:04 - Nov 27 lol your brilliant - at least Callums comments are understandable i just think you just moan to moan with out foundations.
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naa added 15:04 - Nov 27 super: to continue the theme. How many times in football do we see someone make a great cameo from the bench, only to find the manager has stuck with the same eleven next game and not given the sub a start? Very often I'd say. How many times did Solskjar start for Man U? yet he was a great scorer of goals as a sub. What I'm saying is Keane should be wiser than to change a team just because someone has a good 15 mins against team A when next game is away against team B. Yet he doesn't seem to be.

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byebyesheepshanks added 15:05 - Nov 27 The physio is going to decide whether John plays tomorrow. The usual fitness test has been devised. If he can walk to the cashpoint without limping, check his signing on fee & wages are in & stifle a broad grin, but click both heels together repeatedly he's guaranteed 30 minutes on the pitch.
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naa added 15:05 - Nov 27 super: great comeback. Oh hang on, it wasn't.
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naa added 15:08 - Nov 27 Actually super you've really pi55ed me off now. What was not understandable in my comment? I said that Keane should play a fixed team with minor changes and that he shouldn't change just because fans want him to. And I directly refuted a couple of your points. Which is more than you did.
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naa added 15:09 - Nov 27 Oh, and why pick on me? There are loads of people on here who have criticised his team changing.
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superblueflude added 15:11 - Nov 27 but you say that Naa - but you said following the derby game that he should start the next with the subs that came on - surely that defies the Solskjar argument? All im saying is yes we need a starting 11 but against different teams you do need different players to play - like against a fast attack team you need to try to play against the pace, so choosing pacier playes, yet against a hoof ball team you need to find those players who have great posistional sense and heading ability at the back - different teams for me means different tactics and team selection

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superblueflude added 15:14 - Nov 27 im not picking lol, im asking why you always slated Keane changing the team. So you say above - keane changes the team just becasue of fans - yet when he's not picking wright, garvan, counago, etc you slate him for not picking them - the guy cant win, i just find it weard.
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