As the Bluebirds prepare for a crucial final stretch in their League One promotion push, striker Salech is poised to provide a timely boost with his return to fitness.
Salech, Cardiff’s leading scorer this season, has been sidelined since sustaining a serious neck injury during the 1-1 draw with Stockport County in January.
While there is now growing optimism around his return straight after next week’s international break, Barry-Murphy admitted that the initial uncertainty surrounding the problem posed a significant challenge.
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"It's a big boost for him and his team-mates and friends, of which he has so many in the squad, because it was such a serious injury," said Barry-Murphy.
"I think in the immediate aftermath of that, the questions about timescale were so difficult to say because how severe an injury it was.
"To see him come back and make such good progress in the past week or 10 days, he looks like he's ready to go back into training."
The complexity of the injury lay not just in its severity, but in its rarity. Salech avoided fractures, but suffered extensive ligament damage in his neck and back, alongside chest complications—something Cardiff’s medical team had little prior experience of managing.
"The big news post-injury was there were no fractures anywhere, but you still had severe damage to his ligaments in his neck, and in his back and then some issues in his chest,” added the Bluebirds boss.
"So it was just about getting used to the day-by-day testing of that. To see how quickly he can move forward has been the biggest challenge for our medical staff because we've never had that injury before.
"But he's now making really good progress where he's not feeling any issue whatsoever."
Although Barry-Murphy stopped short of confirming an exact return date, he suggested that Salech could be back in contention shortly after the international break—potentially in time for the trip to Peterborough United in early April.
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"It's hard to say a particular game, but if he does come into full training during the international break then he should be available after it," he added.
The striker’s return would provide a major lift for Cardiff, who are currently second in League One with eight games remaining.
His 12 league goals this season underline his importance to a side chasing automatic promotion.
There is further good news on the injury front, with Isaak Davies also nearing a comeback after suffering a concussion in February.
"I think our squad's in a pretty good place," said Barry-Murphy. "Yousef Salech and Isaak Davies will be back after the international break.
"Everybody else seemed OK after the game on Tuesday."
That defeat— a 2-0 home loss to Wycombe Wanderers—was a setback in Cardiff’s title challenge, particularly after Gabriel Osho’s red card left them with an uphill battle.
However, Barry-Murphy remains focused on ensuring his side respond positively, starting with the upcoming clash against Blackpool.
“Our focus is completely on Saturday and producing a performance that will allow us to win. After the international break we’ll come back and try and finish the season in a brilliant manner,” he added.
“We have a very specific focus on who we’re going to play against, their strengths and what they do well. We also look at what we particularly must do in situations of the game that can score us the goals to win it.”
Despite recent frustrations, the Cardiff boss continues to place faith in the quality and mentality within his squad, highlighting both individual talent and collective growth over the campaign.
“We have a dressing room that’s full of players with exceptional talents. It’s incredibly exciting to work with them daily and see them improve.
“We’ve seen leadership form and grow from so many different players across the course of the season - some that were unexpected from myself. So, there’s an incredible sense of leadership from all different parts of the dressing room."
He also pointed to the strong standards his players have established at home this season, describing how consistency has reshaped expectations at Cardiff City Stadium.
“We’ve been so good for so long across the course of the season that when you do lose a game at home now it seems as if it’s not normal, and that’s a positive thing for me.
“The new normal these players have created is that we win at home, play great football and win games, but you can never take that for granted. We need to try and fight every single step of the way to play well on Saturday and win."
