In Mats Daehli and Ravel Morrison, Cardiff have two of the most talented youngsters in the Championship at their disposal, yet they've both been limited to appearances from the bench of late.

Slade prefers to use a traditional 4-4-2 line-up
Slade prefers to use a traditional 4-4-2 line-up

Neither have started under Russell Slade at the Bluebirds with his favoured 4-4-2 formation seemingly unable to fit either in, so what can Slade do to fit them in?

Mats Daehli and Ravel Morrison are very similar players. They are both talented ex-Manchester United youngsters who like to play just behind the forwards in a central role with license to roam out wide.

Daehli was linked with a move to Chelsea this summer after being one of the few positives to come out of Cardiff's dismal maiden Premier League season, but he didn't adapt to the Championship anywhere near as well as he did to the Premier League which saw him lose his place.

Meanwhile, Ravel Morrison was closing in on getting an England cap after sublime performances for West Ham early on last season, but his personal problems caught up with him again which halted his progress at Upton Park.

They are clearly very talented players who could walk into virtually any Championship team. However, Russell Slade has adopted a traditional 4-4-2 formation at Cardiff with the aim of going back to basics with Aron Gunnarsson playing a holding role with club stalwart Peter Whittingham playing alongside him.

This back-to-basics approach and Slade's desire to play with two strikers has meant that there is no room in the Cardiff side for a flamboyant attacking midfielder, which has meant that the pair have been limited to appearances from the bench thus far.

However, Ravel Morrison has impressed when he has played. On his debut against Sheffield Wednesday, he came off the bench to help close out the game for the Bluebirds; and he impressed, his direct runs and his ability to find a pass when it was needed impressed the Cardiff faithful.

He's continued to impress for the Bluebirds, yet he has just 1 start; that coming against Blackpool where Morrison was probably Cardiff's best player that night. It's tough to see what more Morrison needs to do to start constantly. The fact that he's only on loan won't help him get into the side, it's clear that Slade is looking long-term with his selections.

It looks tougher for Daehli to force his way into the side though. He's Cardiff's most promising player, but he has not shown it so far this season. He looked mediocre in Cardiff's opening games and it's clear that he needs to toughen up for the rigour of the Championship. In all liklihood, only one of Daehli and Morrison will get into the side, and it looks like the Norwegian youngster would be the one to miss out.

So, where could Slade fit in Morrison or Daehli. To have one of them in the centre, Slade would have to drop either Whittingham or Gunnarsson to stick with the 4-4-2 formation, but Slade has played Joe Ralls when either of them have been missing, which makes this option unlikely.

Alternatively, Slade could move to a 4-5-1  formation and have one of the pair playing just behind the striker. In this formation, Kenwyne Jones would act as a target man up top with either Daehli or Morrison playing just behind. This could realistically happen and indeed, this is the formation that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer adopted earlier this season. However, Slade seems intent on playing with two strikers up top. Whether or not having two strikers away from home works remains to be seen though.

Another option is to play one of them out-wide. Cardiff are short of wingers, with Craig Noone and Anthony Pilkington being the only first team wingers available to the Bluebirds. Both of them have shown in the past that they are less effective on the wings than they are through the centre, but it's probably the easiest way into the side for the pair at the moment.

Craig Noone is virtually guaranteed a spot in the starting 11, but Anthony Pilkington's spot could be up for grabs if one of them can stake a claim to it. Pilkington went off at half-time during Cardiff's 3-1 victory over Leeds on Saturday and he is doubtful for their visit to Bolton. If one of them can step up in that game, then they can definitely take that spot off Pilkington's hands.

So, it looks like two of the Championship's most talented attacking midfielders are going to have to resort to playing on the wings if they are going to play first team football. Having players as talented as Daehli and Morrison and not being able to fit them into the team  is a problem that any Championship manager would love to have, but it's a problem that Slade has and he could really do with fitting at least one of them into his system.