Wales captain Aaron Ramsey has been ruled out of Cardiff City’s Championship game away to Derby County on Saturday with a hamstring problem.
Midfielder Ramsey reported back with a problem after international action in which he played 72 minutes of the Nations League goalless draw against Turkey last Friday in Craig Bellamy’s first game at the helm.
Ramsey, 33, then replaced Harry Wilson from the bench with 10 minutes of normal time remaining in the 2-1 victory in Montenegro on Monday night.
Cardiff manager Erol Bulut is now awaiting the result of medical checks on Ramsey’s latest injury problem.
Bulut said: “We will miss him for Derby. He played 10 minutes (against Montenegro) and felt a little bit on his hamstring, that’s why he has to take a little bit of time. I hope it’s not something serious.”
He added: “I know only from our medical staff that he played the national game and after that he was feeling a pain on his hamstring.
“Now we have to wait to get the full report, but he will not be with us on Saturday.”
Ramsey, capped 86 times by his country, made just seven league starts and six substitute appearances for Cardiff last term in a campaign ruined by a knee problem.
But having worked diligently in the summer to rebuild his fitness, Ramsey has started all four of Cardiff’s Championship games this season and made an impressive international return against Turkey.
As they look to move from the bottom of the early Championship table by earning their first league win, Cardiff will also be without Norwegian defender Jesper Daland.
Daland, a summer signing from Cercle Bruges, was selected for Norway‘s Nations League games with Kazhakstan and Austria but had to pull out with the injury which forced him off in Cardiff’s 2-0 home defeat by Middlesbrough on 31 August.
Bulut said: “He didn’t (join up with Norway) because he still has this boot on because of his leg, he got injured in the last game. Tomorrow (Friday) he will be out of the boot. Slowly he will start the small training sessions. I hope in the short term he will be back in full training.
But Cardiff will be boosted by the return of club skipper Joe Ralls, who has been sidelined since the 5-0 defeat at Burnley on 17 August.
Bulut said: “Joe Ralls has trained with us and he will be available. Rallsy is the captain of the team and a leader on and off the field. It’s always good to have him in the team.”