Bradford City will hate shock Cardiff City injury news ahead of bumper clash | OneFootball

Cardiff City's injury bulletin will have garnered mixed feelings among the Bradford City camp ahead of Saturday's top-of-the-table showdown

A mouth-watering first-versus-second showdown fixture at the top of the League One table awaits on Saturday afternoon, with Cardiff City and Bradford set to lock horns in the Welsh capital.

Both sides have enjoyed blistering starts to the 2025/26 League One campaign after being introduced to the division from relegation and promotion respectively.

Cardiff were relegated from the Championship and returned to the third-tier for the first time in more than 20 years back in May, whereas Bradford gained promotion out of League Two in third place but have been, by far, League One's premier surprise package in the opening month of the new season.

For the time being, at least, it's the Bluebirds who are sitting atop of the league table and are yet to concede defeat or a single goal from open play after seven matches, five of which have resulted in victory.

But, of course, their position could soon be subject to change ahead of what represents, on home soil at least, their stiffest test to date, with second-placed Bradford level on points and intent on causing yet another upset following last weekend's thrilling 3-1 triumph over West Yorkshire, and indeed promotion rivals, Huddersfield Town.

Cardiff may be the favourites but Bradford have little reason to be heading down to South Wales low on confidence, either. However, Cardiff's latest injury bulletin may have just handed a curveball of sorts to the Bantams.

Alex Robertson set to make Cardiff City injury return for Bradford City clash

Bradford will have been watching on with mixed feelings as Bluebirds' head coach Brian Barry-Murphy delivered his team news update ahead of Saturday's showdown.

He confirmed that central defensive duo Dylan Lawlor and Gabriel Osho, the latter of whom signed from Auxerre this summer after playing regularly in the Championship, the Premier League and Ligue 1 in recent years, will both be subjected to late fitness checks following Tuesday evening's EFL Trophy victory at Exeter City, with their availability for Bradford hanging very much in the balance.

He did, however, reveal that Alex Robertson is set to return to contention this weekend, which will represent the Australian-born midfielder's first competitive minutes of the new season. Robertson suffered a shin injury in Cardiff's pre-season fixture at Notts County back in July before seeing his return postponed by a subsequent hamstring injury.

However, in what represents a considerable boost for Cardiff - and little in the way of good news as far as the Bantams will be concerned - Robertson is now back to full fitness and will be champing at the bit to force his way into Barry Murphy's thinking after being a former favourite of the Irishman's during their days together at Manchester City's academy.

Supporters were skeptical about whether Robertson would return this month, but were handed a much-welcomed surprise when, upon being asked for an update on the starlet's fitness, Barry-Murphy said: "He is back.

"He has been training fully with us since we last spoke. So he will be considered for the squad along with all the other players.

"He has played fine."

Alex Robertson, Cardiff City injury update is bad news for Bradford City

Robertson was among a host of prized assets whom Cardiff managed to retain after resisting admiring transfer glances, with the Man City academy product having reportedly received interest from 12 Championship clubs alongside undisclosed European top-flight and MLS outfits in the summer.

That was perhaps little surprise in the wake of an impressive individual campaign after arriving from Pep Guardiola's side the previous season, with Robertson handing a cool offering of class and craft - albeit not always consistently - to a team which ultimately finished bottom of the Championship.

Before that, however, Robertson had enjoyed half-a-season as one of League One's leading operators during a breakout loan spell with Portsmouth, who would end up winning the title after the classy midfielder saw his campaign curtailed through injury.

Now back in League One, Robertson will be poised to orchestrate a starring role and that could all start this Saturday against Graham Alexander's side.

An elegant and technically-gifted midfielder capable of playing just about anywhere in the middle of the park, Robertson's reading of the game is superb and his ability to dictate the tempo is symptomatic of a player with an education honed in Man City's prodigious academy system — Bradford, as a result, will face a real struggle in trying to control the flow and play through Cardiff's midfield.

Offensively, too, Robertson can provide a real threat, with his late-box runs and line-breaking forward passing both chief hallmarks of his game when in full flow.

In total contrast to last season, meanwhile, Cardiff's heavy possession-based system is tailor-made for him to orchestrate play and enjoy increased attacking license, with Bluebirds supporters understandably eager to see him in action and working in tandem with mercurial playmaking star Rubin Colwill.

Bradford, quite naturally, will not share that sentiment and the already-tough test that lay ahead in South Wales has just assumed a fresher, stiffer degree of difficulty.