Boss Roy Keane says he is expecting a reaction to Tuesday’s defeat to QPR when Cardiff visit Portman Road on Saturday. The Blues manager, who says his Town side are still some way from being promotion material, expects the Bluebirds to be similarly determined to bounce back after losing to Leicester in midweek.
Keane said: "There will be a reaction. We all know that we let ourselves down the other night, we didn’t perform. Credit to QPR, they took full advantage of our off night but we’ll look to bounce back on Saturday.
"Again it’s a tough game for us because Cardiff are a good team, they’re a big goal threat. We came up short the other night but I hope we won’t come up short on Saturday.”
The Blues boss feels that how sides deal with losses is key to success in the Championship: "Both clubs have a point to prove, having lost the other night. That’s what football’s about, how you react to disappointment, particularly in the Championship because you are going to lose a lot of games.
"Even the sides that got promoted last year lost eight, nine or 10 games. It’s our first loss and we need to bounce back.
"I think it was coming. I don’t think we played particularly well last week or a couple of weeks before in the international break.”
Keane says Tuesday’s game showed just how far his team still has to progress: "It’s a good reminder for everybody that we’re far from being a team capable of getting promoted. We’ve got a long way to go yet and we saw that last night up against QPR’s experience, their know-how, their attacking options. It was a good reality check for everybody.”
Defender Darren O’Dea is considered a big doubt for Town due to his knee injury, while Cardiff could welcome back Craig Bellamy, also after a knee problem.