Cardiff City v Palace

Cardiff City Stadium, Tuesday 7.45pm

Team news

Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freedman almost has a clean bill of health for this Carling Cup semi-final second leg tie at Cardiff with no new injuries.

He is likely to recall nine players that were rested in Saturday's league defeat to Blackpool for this huge game. Sean Scannell is back after serving his suspension and left-back Dean Moxey has recovered from a knee problem, but on-loan right-back Mustapha Dumbuya is cup-tied. Jonathan Williams (broken leg) is the only player still out.

Cardiff have picked up no new injuries or suspensions, however defender Kevin McNaughton (calf) and striker Rudy Gestede (ankle) are doubts.

Goalkeeper Tom Heaton has started five of Cardiff's six Carling Cup ties and could replace David Marshall.

Quotes

Roy Hodgson

"This week is a big week for us as we go to Cardiff to try and get through to our first major cup final in more than 20 years. It is a huge game and without a doubt will be tense as the prize for the winners is so great.

"However, while it is only natural our players will be nervous before the game, I'm sure it will be worse for the home team who know only too well what it is like to fall at the last hurdle.

"I've seen Cardiff fall just short so many times over the past few seasons that they and their supporters must be scared stiff of failure. When you get in stressful situations it is difficult not to think of the past, and when you have their recent history of being beaten in the play-offs so often, they must have some very unhappy memories.

"In fact the last time they got over the line was when Lennie Lawrence was their manager, but unfortunately for them he is now sitting in our dugout.

"One of the hardest things to do in football is to come from behind in a semi-final and I think the win at Selhurst Park last week gives us a massive advantage going into the game. We played very well in the first leg, especially when you consider we were well below full strength having suffered from a nasty virus that has gone around the squad, and I thought we had got the balance of attack and defence about right.

"It will be our objective to build upon that performance in the return game and put Cardiff under pressure by taking them out of their comfort zone. But while I know it will be a very difficult test in Wales, I have so much faith in my group of players that I am confident we can go there and do the job.

"As things stand we have virtually a fully fit and rested squad, and touch wood, we will travel at full strength with a game plan to get the right result. We've already been there this season in the league and were very unlucky not to come away with something having been well in the game before we tired late on. That won't happen this time as we are fresh and ready and we've learnt our lessons from before.

"Without a doubt Cardiff City Stadium will be a hostile environment but we've gone to tough places this season and got results, so I don't think that will be too much of a factor especially as we are taking large numbers of fans ourselves who will always make themselves heard no matter how out-numbered they are.

"Traditional football logic would be to try and quieten the crowd in the first 20 minutes, but I know the City fans will stick by their team for the first 70 or so minutes no matter what the score is. Only if they are losing with 20 minutes to go may that become a factor but whatever the noise volumes it won't intimidate us. Next Tuesday is a huge opportunity for Crystal Palace, and one we are determined to take."

David Wright

"I've never played at Wembley so it would be great if we could get there. I remember sitting in the stands for the final [for Wigan] and it was tough to take. There were a couple of us in the same position but hopefully we can get through and that won't happen again.

"We are quietly confident that if we play like we know we can then Tuesday could be another great night for the club.

"I've heard people say that it is better to play the second leg at home but we have done well to go into the game with the advantage. We have worked hard to improve our away form this year and we don't concede many goals so it doesn't worry us that we are going there for the second leg.

"We've lost there once this season but we've learnt from what happened that day," he added. "I'm sure the gaffer and the management team have examined the Pro Zone and have been able to take something from it.

"We know Cardiff's strengths and weaknesses as I'm sure they know ours by now. We were very disappointed to lose the league game there and I think we have a good chance of going there and getting the result on Tuesday."

Darren Ambrose

"If we go into the match with that attitude [of going for a draw] then we will get turned over. We played Cardiff two months ago and lost 2-0 and and if it is the same score they'll be through.

"We have to go in with the attitude that it is 0-0 and we need a goal. If we can score once then they will have to score at least three times over 120 minutes.

"If you can't enjoy games like this then you shouldn't be playing football. These are the games you dream of when you are growing up. Big nights like this in the semi-finals.

"We're not nervous at all. We are 90 minutes away from a big cup final but I think if everyone can go out there and enjoy themselves we'll be all right."

Julian Speroni

"They are going to have to go for it. Cardiff will throw everything at us, for sure. Our defending will have to be very focused on what we're doing. "But that could be good for us because on the counter we have players that can change a game, that have speed and talent to score goals. It will be very interesting.

"I've had matches before where you expect to have to do a lot and it turns out that you don't. Cardiff won't go stupid and leave loads of space behind them.They will have to be a little careful because 1-0 is not a huge difference to overcome.

"We have a gameplan and we'll see how it goes. It doesn't matter what Cardiff do - we know what we need to do and are looking forward to it. I'm not going to predict a result but what I will say is that I have got a nice feeling.

"The defence we've got now is right up there with the best we've had in my time here. The difference this season is that the whole team are contributing. It starts with the strikers.

"It will mean a lot to me and the club if we can get to a major final. We haven't been there for many, many years. You want to have success in your career and that would go down in history."

Malky Mackay

"Needless to say, part of the team talk is done. As far as the comments [said by Dougie Freedman] are concerned I look after my own club. It's not my style to talk about the history of how other clubs are. I have got enough going on here at the football club to be dealing with [rather than] what I think of other teams and other players."

Kenny Miller

"We don't need any other motivation than the fact we are going to play a game of football and hopefully get to a cup final. That is what is spurring us on. It is obviously a bit of mind games and trying to throw the cat among the pigeons. But we'll just get on and play and hopefully go and get the result.

"It will be difficult especially the way Crystal Palace play. They make it very hard for you to break them down. Chances are kind of few and far between.

"The league is a priority. There is no messing with that and promotion is our number one target this year, but this has been a nice wee distraction and a wee day out at Wembley and a possible cup would be great."

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Cardiff City - league stats

Position	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points
3rd	27	13	10	4	49

Full league table

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Cardiff City - current form

Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against
6	3	2	1	10	7

Full form table

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Last five results

Date	Type	Home Team	Score	Away Team
10/01/2012	League Cup	Crystal Palace	1 - 0	Cardiff City
05/11/2011	League	Cardiff City	2 - 0	Crystal Palace
08/03/2011	League	Crystal Palace	1 - 0	Cardiff City
28/09/2010	League	Cardiff City	0 - 0	Crystal Palace
27/03/2010	League	Crystal Palace	1 - 2	Cardiff City

All time results

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Last meeting

Palace 1-0 Cardiff City

Tuesday January 10 2012

Palace: Speroni, Gardner, McCarthy, Ramage, Parr, Ambrose, Dikgacoi, Jedinak, Zaha (Easter, 89), Murray, Martin (Scannell, 78)

Subs not used: Wright, Price, Andrew, Garvan, O'Keefe

Goals: Gardner (43)

Cardiff City: Heaton, Taylor, McNaughton (Blake, 66), Turner, Hudson, Ralls, Whittingham, Cowie, Gunnarsson, Miller, Mason (McPhail, 74)

Subs not used: Marshall, Gerrard, Kiss, Earnshaw, Conway

Bookings: Ralls

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