Cardiff City have had a mixed start to their Championship campaign, with the Bluebirds having only registered four wins in their first 11 games this term, with many left questioning whether the club will indeed make an instant return to the Premier League or not. 

One player who will soon be hoping to return to the first team fold is 28-year-old former Swansea City defender Jazz Richards, who has missed all 11 of the Bluebirds opening league games after suffering an injury during the club's pre-season campaign this term.

It had been hoped that Richards would return earlier in the campaign, however, Warnock confirmed back in September, as reported by Walesonline.co.uk, that the defender would be out for a while longer, with the 70-year-old former Sheffield United boss stating:

“Jazz has picked up another knock. He is so unlucky – just a challenge with Aden Flint. He has a swollen ankle. It’s been a bit like Casualty.”

The ex-Fulham loanee has only appeared in 44 games for the club since joining the Bluebirds in 2016, with the 28-year-old full back having largely suffered due to injuries throughout his time at the Cardiff City Stadium, however he has today provided a boost to both his manager and the club's supporters, with Richards posting a video of himself seemingly back in training via his Instagram story:

The Verdict

The defender's return should provide some much-needed competition for Lee Peltier at full-back, whose early season performances really haven't been up to scratch, with the Bluebirds having already conceded 16 goals in their opening 11 games this season.

Richards will also provide Warnock with a far more attacking option than Peltier, with the veteran full-back having so far failed to even register one cross this season, according to statistics provided by WhoScored.com.

Which will surely make for grim reading from his manager's perspective, particularly with the Bluebirds having struggled to score goals for periods of the season so far.

Richards in comparison provides a much more forward-thinking option, with the 28-year-old liking to get forward often on the overlap to provide the option for a pass to be played out wide from which he can deliver a cross into the box for a teammate.

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