Cardiff City goalkeeper Nathan Trott is expected to miss his second consecutive match as the League One leaders prepare for their Boxing Day encounter against Exeter City.
The Bermudian, who has been a mainstay in the Bluebirds' promotion charge this season, remains sidelined with a hand injury sustained during last week’s Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat against Chelsea.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Cardiff City Head Coach Brian Barry-Murphy confirmed that the 27-year-old has yet to return to full training.
"Nathan Trott hasn’t trained yet," Barry-Murphy said. "He is still nursing a hand injury suffered in the match against Chelsea. He damaged his hand in a challenge during the second half of that game and as such, he wasn't available for last weekend's trip to Lincoln".
Trott’s absence was felt on Saturday as Cardiff suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Lincoln City, bringing an end to their five-match winning streak. Despite the setback, the Welsh club remains at the summit of League One, holding a three-point lead over second-placed Lincoln with a game in hand.
Matt Turner is likely to continue in goal for the Boxing Day fixture at the Cardiff City Stadium, where a crowd of over 30,000 is expected for the visit of the Grecians.
Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell has acknowledged the challenge of facing the league leaders, noting that while his side won their previous meeting in the Vertu Trophy, Cardiff will present a "totally different" and more formidable test this Friday.
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