Championship side Cardiff City have made a very promising start to the summer with nine players already arriving in the Welsh capital since the end of the season.

They may have missed out on Gareth Bale - but they are still in a good position to hit the ground running in the early stages of the 2021/22 campaign with many of their arrivals set to have a full pre-season of football under their belt.

There are likely to be more arrivals between now and the end of the transfer window though considering the fact they are still light in a couple of areas.

 

 

Their forward area is the main position where they need surgery with James Collins' future uncertain amid interest from Derby County and the Bluebirds requiring far more quality up top if they are to give themselves the best possible chance of recording a much-improved league finish next season.

Their central defence also needs to be looked at with Aden Flint leaving a void in this department - and addressing this issue will be particularly important if they want to play a back three.

Depth isn't an issue here though as we pick our best five-a-side team from their current squad. Do you agree with our picks?

A 2-1-1 formation may have made sense to provide a bit of defensive solidity - but a diamond would also be effective and provide different options going forward - something that will be important for the forward in this lineup.

Firstly, Ryan Allsop comes in as a player with a decent amount of second-tier experience under his belt in the last year, also playing a reasonably decent brand of football under Wayne Rooney at Pride Park last term. That could be useful for a five-a-side game, with the shot-stopper's distribution potentially crucial to their success.

It may have been wise to include a central defender in front of him - but Joe Ralls has played in a deep midfield role on multiple occasions and can certainly contribute defensively - making him a good asset to have at the base of their diamond. His distribution will also be important.

On the left, new signing Callum O'Dowda comes in as a player that can contribute both offensively and defensively, making him a real asset in a five-a-side and he could potentially use the wing to stretch the game. Having a player who naturally drifts out wide should help to give the Bluebirds a different dimension going forward.

It also feels as though they need a risk-taker and this is why someone with the fearlessness of Rubin Colwill could pay dividends in this team, able to dribble forward and provide the attacking urgency needed to set the Welsh side on the front foot. He vastly improved his passing accuracy statistics towards the latter stages of the season as well, a real positive.

And up front, James Collins has to be the starter as someone who has established himself as a prolific goalscorer in the EFL over the years. His spell at the Cardiff City Stadium hasn't worked out thus far - but he could shine if given another opportunity during 2022/23.