, Cardiff City boss explains key player absence ahead of Middlesbrough game

Cardiff City boss explains key player absence ahead of Middlesbrough game

Cardiff City player Lee Tomlin is one of those reliable players who you can lean on when you need to be pulled out of a hole. He is a dual-threat, goals/assist type of player and one that the Bluebirds have relied on a lot this season. However, since late February, he’s not been the usual presence that he had been and boss Neil Harris cleared that up in words carried by BBC Sport.

Tomlin, who arrived at Cardiff in mid-July 2017 for around £3m, has repaid the Welsh side with 9 goals and 10 assists over that time. The bulk of that output has come this season in the Sky Bet Championship. This season, the Leicester-born second striker has 8 goals and 9 assists from 31 appearances for the Bluebirds.

However, since late-February, Tomlin has been reduced to appearances off the bench leading to some raised eyebrows amongst the Cardiff City faithful.

Michael Steele/Getty Images Sport

After his goal-scoring return to starting football in the 2-1 win against Derby County, Cardiff boss Harris gave insight into why Tomlin isn’t getting the game time. Explaining this, Harris said:

Maybe I’ve not made it clear Lee has not been physically able to start games. That’s why he hasn’t started, not because I’ve wanted to go with certain personnel. Tonight [against Derby] was the first time he was at a level to contribute as he did and even playing him for 60, 70 minutes was a risk.

Adding a further comment, Harris elaborates on the physical condition that Tomlin is in and how it affects his exposure to longer periods of play. On this the Cardiff boss adds:

Some days we can’t get him out there because of the knee, sometimes the hip. I’ve wanted to play him at times and he’s wanted to play, but he’s not been in a position to start.

The upcoming game against Middlesbrough could see Tomlin feature for Cardiff City against one of his former clubs, having joined Boro in July 2014 from Peterborough for £1.7m. It will be a game of importance for both sides. For Cardiff, it will represent a chance to strengthen their 6th position playoff place whilst Boro will be hoping the three points will guarantee their Championship safety.

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