Brian Barry-Murphy confirms triple pre-Blackpool blow for Cardiff City - Ian Evatt will be licking his lips | OneFootball

Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy has delivered an injury update ahead of Saturday's trip to Blackpool

Cardiff City will be intent on returning to winning ways in League One on Saturday afternoon when they travel to face Ian Evatt's Blackpool, having lost out against Bolton Wanderers prior to successive EFL Cup and FA Cup clashes at Wrexham and Peterborough United.

The trip to Bloomfield Road will mark the Bluebirds' fourth consecutive away match before returning to the Welsh capital for next Tuesday's EFL Trophy group stage clash against Arsenal's under-21 side, with an unforgiving fixture scheduling showing no signs of mercy for Brian Barry-Murphy's side.

Consistency has been an issue in recent weeks for Cardiff, whose record over the last month or so reads four victories and four defeats from eight encounters. The Bluebirds remain, however, third-placed in League One ahead of this weekend's return to action, and did progress to the EFL Cup quarter-final stage — where they will face FIFA Club World Cup champions Chelsea in a mouth-watering clash in South Wales next month — after defeating Welsh rivals Wrexham away from home, though City's FA Cup run was much more short-lived as they crashed out to Peterborough.

Following a blistering and unbeaten start to Cardiff's first League One campaign in more than 20 years, consistency must now be found for the Bluebirds to regain their footing at the top of the table and make serious strides towards achieving promotion.

Blackpool, meanwhile, sit all the way down in 23rd, but having won each of their first two games under ex-Bolton boss Ian Evatt - who was linked with the Cardiff job earlier in the summer - a stern test can be expected in the North West.

Brian Barry-Murphy confirms Will Fish, Perry Ng, Chris Willock blow at Cardiff City ahead of Blackpool

There is pressure from supporters for Cardiff to address recent inconsistency and clinch all three points against Saturday's opponents, but they will have to try and do so without three key players to call upon in Will Fish, Perry Ng and Chris Willock.

Fish, who has established himself as a star performer alongside Dylan Lawlor at the heart of Cardiff's defence despite competition from the likes of captain Calum Chambers and summer recruit Gabriel Osho, has been managing a knee issue sustained during his side's EFL Trophy defeat against neighbors Newport County.

That issue, however, has since aggravated, and though Fish has featured in every game since, he was brought off late in the recent cup exit at Peterborough and has not trained this week, with Barry-Murphy confirming the 22-year-old to be an "extreme doubt" for contention away to Blackpool.

Ng and Willock were both absent from the trip to London Road, too.

While Ng featured in the win at Wrexham, tricky winger Willock has been sidelined since Cardiff's 2-1 victory over Reading on October 18 and both are expected to return following the conclusion of the upcoming international break — meaning they too appear to be ruled out of facing Evatt's side.

Ng has been used in a squad rotation role this season amid the emergence of teenage right-back prodigy Ronan Kpakio, whereas Willock has kicked on in League One under Barry-Murphy after enduring a difficult debut season following his high-profile move from QPR.

Speaking on injuries ahead of the trip to Blackpool, Barry-Murphy explained: "We have not seen Will Fish this week in terms of training, so he's an extreme doubt.

"Even today I don't think he'll train, he may train tomorrow but in all likelihood that would mean he is probably very, very doubtful for Saturday."

"We've trained really well, training has been really good this week and the rest of the squad is in very good health.

"The international break after the weekend comes at a good time for us in terms of trying to get Will fit and Chris Willock and Perry Ng.

"By the time we come back, fingers crossed you never know what happens in International football, our squad should be in a really good place."

Blackpool, Ian Evatt may love Brian Barry-Murphy's Cardiff City injury update

The latest injury bulletin is hardly the sort of news Cardiff supporters will have wanted to hear, with Fish in particular having established himself as a much-adored figure among the fanbase in recent times - not least for his emphatic winner at the StoK Cae Ras.

Ng also remains a useful presence in the squad, while Willock's return of two goals and three assists has marked him as one of the more dangerous wingers in League One this term and Evatt will be relieved that he won't be returning in time to face his side.

It certainly looks that way, at least, with Omari Kellyman and one of either Cian Ashford or Isaak Davies likely to be utilised out wide instead.

It's a big boost for Blackpool, who would love nothing more than to extend their winning start under Evatt with a major scalp over one of the division's leading promotion contenders — who have, of course, dropped more points than they'd have liked as of late.