Kenneth Zohore and Lee Tomlin will lead Cardiff City’s attack in their opening Championship fixture at Burton Albion on Saturday (3pm).
Manager Neil Warnock has confirmed the explosive, powerful Zohore, who has scored four goals in pre-season, will be at centre-forward with the quick-thinking Tomlin aiming to set up chances,
More than 1,600 Bluebirds fans will be at Burton’s Pirelli Stadium and the away section has been sold out for weeks.
Warnock wants City fans to play their part in Cardiff’s bid to challenge for promotion, saying: “”The fans can help now. They can get behind us. We’ve sold out at Burton. To have any chance whatsoever we’ve got to have packed house home and away and verbally getting behind us and willing us on.
“There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be optimistic.
“We have a better squad to cope with adversity now, to change a game, win a game. We have more ammunition now and that’s what I’m pleased with. There are more options.
“They’re realistic (bookmakers). We should finish 14th or 15th which is what the bookies are saying. But the bookies have never been in a dressing room with fantastic team spirit.”
“I would not be sat behind a desk at my age having been a manager for 37 years if I didn’t have that drive.
“This is a fabulous club and it’s made to measure for someone like me. We haven’t done anything yet, but I think we can give everyone a game.
“I’ve never had a dressing room like I’ve got now, even in the Premier League. I love building a dressing room, building a club and off the field as well. I like everybody to be together in the city.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling tickets in the office or you’re the secretary or manager, everybody wants to be in that position where you can help.
“The fans can help now, they can get behind us.”
Cardiff will be without Kadeem Harris, Lee Camp, Rhys Healey, Callum Paterson and Matt Connolly at the Pirelli Stadium, while goalkeeper Ben Wilson has joined League One outfit Oldham on loan until January.
The 24-year-old made three appearances in the Championship for the Bluebirds last season before joining Rochdale on loan in February for the remainder of the 2016-17 campaign.
Cardiff City squad numbers for the new season: 1 Lee Camp, 2 Lee Peltier, 3 Joe Bennett, 4 Sean Morrison, 5 Bruno Manga, 6 Jazz Richards, 7 Lee Tomlin, 8 Joe Ralls, 9 Danny Ward, 10 Kenneth Zohore, 11 Kadeem Harris, 13 Anthony Pilkington, 14 Sol Bamba, 15 Greg Halford, 16 Matthew Connolly, 17 Aron Gunnarsson, 18 Callum Paterson, 19 Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, 20 Loic Damour, 21 Craig Noone, 22 Stuart O’Keefe, 23 Matthew Kennedy, 24 Declan John, 25 Neil Etheridge, 27 Ibrahim Meite, 28 Brian Murphy, 31 Mark Harris, 33 Junior Hoilett, 37 Rhys Healey.
