Cardiff may have suffered defeat in midweek away to Luton but prior to that they were unbeaten in six, winning four. The mood around the club is still one of real positivity ever since Omer Riza became interim boss. A good result here would further enhance his claims of getting the job outright, which is what the players want to happen.

Flip over to Blackburn and we’re at the stage now where we can say they’re in a slump. The season had started so well, and unexpectedly so, meaning it is probably natural they regressed at some point. They’ve lost three in a row, are winless in four and haven’t even scored a goal in this period. When the goals dry up, it isn’t so easy to suddenly change that.

Undoubtedly the best thing Riza has done since taking over the team is introducing Callum Robinson back into the fold. Under Erol Bulut he found himself largely out of favour and restricted to limited appearances. Now, he is the first name in the starting eleven and is clearly appreciating this.

The former West Brom forward is top scorer for the Bluebirds this season, netting five goals across 12 appearances. This includes three in his last five for Cardiff.

Although Robinson is yet to assist a goal so far, he is certainly capable of doing so. This is backed up by the numbers as the attacker is ranked second in the squad for xAG (Expected Assisted Goals) in league action.

Given he has a history of also playing in attacking midfield and as a winger, it is certainly a skillset he has within his capabilities.

Perry Ng has only just returned from serving a one-match ban for accumulation of yellow cards, which is an indicator of what type of player he is. No doubt he is a talented individual but he most definitely has an aggressive edge that often attracts him to the attention of match officials. In all competitions, he is ranked second in the Cardiff squad based on number of fouls committed.

As mentioned, the right back is no shrinking violet, he tops the squad charts in relation to number of yellow cards received. A quick glance across his match logs for the campaign suggests committing a foul looks a pretty good call for Saturday’s fixture.

Over the 13 encounters he has played this season in all competitions, the ex-Crewe defender has only failed to commit a foul on three occasions.

Lewis Travis and Sondre Tronstad have been a virtually irreplaceable and untouchable partnership this season, to say they have the central midfield area locked up to themselves is an understatement. The manager trusts them completely and they do particular roles in the side that no others can. A big part of this is out of possession, and Travis especially is someone not afraid to get stuck in.

Captain Travis has been on the books at the club for 10 years now, everything means that bit more to him, so emotions can run high game-to-game. He is ranked joint-second in the squad for yellow cards received in Championship action, he is also ranked joint-first in relation to most fouls committed in the league.

Although he produced zero fouls in the Stoke match in midweek, prior to that the ex-Ipswich loanee was on a five-game streak of committing at least two fouls per game.

The form guide doesn’t necessarily reflect which team will win, but it does provide context. Although Cardiff lost last time out, they remain in much stronger form compared to Blackburn. Therefore, morale and mood within the respective dressing rooms will be quite contrasting. Something else worth noting is that fact the Bluebirds have won their previous four at home and conceded only one goal in the process.

Therefore, a clean sheet would go a long way for the hosts claiming three points. A big reason why is the lack of goals Blackburn are scoring at present. Rovers are scoreless in each of their last four Championship fixtures, during which they’ve drew one and lost three.

Although the respective xG battles in those contests suggests they should’ve found the back of the net, missing chances is becoming a habit that is not so easily shaken off. Cardiff may only need to score once here to take the victory.

Given the form of the two outfits, Cardiff are the team more likely to play on the front foot. Confidence is certainly dwindling in the Rovers camp and they are the ones they really need lifting right now. They’ll still play to win however, so quite an open game is expected.

That, in turn, is a good way of increasing the likelihood of corners. In the case of Cardiff, across the league campaign they are averaging 5.14 per game. Focusing purely on their home league encounters, this number raises slightly to 5.43. They clearly enjoy it on home soil and it is seemingly bringing the best out of them.

Blackburn are conceding an average of 5.71 corners in league action this season. It reduces ever so slightly to 5.67 when taking only their Championship away fixtures into account.

Aaron Ramsey being out injured is a blow for Cardiff given his importance to the team. However, if it wasn’t for that, then the re-emergence of Rubin Colwill would never have happened. He has quickly become a key player for Omer Riza, meaning Ramsey won’t necessarily walk back into the side fit again. He is far and away at the top of the squad tally regards to players having shots in Championship clashes with 29.

Of course, specifically hitting the target is that little bit harder, but the young Welshman is excelling in this aspect as well. The 22-year-old also tops the squad tally regards to shots on target in league action, even more than top scorer and striker Callum Robinson. It is playing with this freedom that is getting the best out of him and Cardiff overall.

Although he hasn’t hit the target in his last few appearances, prior to this he went on a seven-game run of doing so, which worked out at an average of 1.86 per match.

Calum Chambers is another Cardiff player that broke into the team off the back of circumstances. He has played practically every game since Mark McGuinness was sold to Luton and he is deserving of his spot in the eleven. However, the former Arsenal man has demonstrated some vulnerabilities recently in the form of producing fouls.

In the defeat to Luton during the week, Chambers committed a total of three fouls. This is the most he has made in any one match this season. Now, therefore, could be the time to get him on side given it could start to become a little more regular. In fact, over his last four appearances, the defender has averaged 1.50 fouls committed per encounter.

Cardiff are also a team quite commonly committing a number of fouls in recent times, particularly since Riza took the helm. Over his eight matches in charge, the Bluebirds have made more fouls than their opponents five times.