Cardiff City have received a major injury boost ahead of their Championship opener against Wrexham, with Brian Barry-Murphy confirming Gabriel Osho is fit to feature while Rubin Colwill has been making good progress this week.
The Bluebirds welcome Wrexham to Cardiff City Stadium on Monday night for their first league fixture since returning to the Championship, with both sides dealing with injury concerns.
Defensive issues for Cardiff
Cardiff's defensive options have been stretched in recent weeks, with Will Fish facing around three months out following hernia surgery and Calum Chambers still recovering from a knee issue. Dylan Lawlor has also been unavailable, while Rubin Colwill has been nursing an ankle problem.
But there is some positive news for Barry-Murphy ahead of the big Welsh derby. Osho was forced to play through discomfort during Cardiff's Carabao Cup victory over Swindon Town last weekend, with the manager admitting afterwards that he would ideally have taken the centre-back off but had no natural replacement available.
Osho and Colwill updates
When asked for an update ahead of Monday's game, Barry-Murphy confirmed: “He's good, yeah.” That should give Cardiff an important boost, with Osho having enjoyed an impressive pre-season after joining the club last summer. The former Luton Town defender has been one of the standout performers during Cardiff's preparations, and Barry-Murphy previously praised his fitness and consistency after a difficult first campaign in south Wales.
Rubin Colwill's ankle problem has also kept him out, although Cardiff are hopeful of seeing him return sooner rather than later. “Rubin's doing really well and making great progress. He has a chance,” the manager said.
Lawlor unlikely to feature
There is less encouraging news regarding Lawlor. Barry-Murphy said the young defender had not trained with the first team during the week and was “unlikely” to feature against Wrexham.
Cardiff are already without Fish, who underwent surgery on a hernia after missing the win over Swindon. Barry-Murphy confirmed last weekend: “Will Fish is having surgery on a hernia on Monday. He'll be out for three months.”
Chambers remains another doubt after suffering a knee problem, although there is some hope that the experienced defender could make progress ahead of the weekend. The Cardiff boss said: “Calum's back in parts of training, so we'll see how he progresses towards the weekend. Because of the Monday kick-off, it gives us a good chance.” That could prove significant given the lack of depth available in central defence.
Wrexham's absentees
Wrexham will also be without one of their biggest names for Monday's clash. Manager Phil Parkinson has confirmed that Josh Windass will miss the Championship opener as he continues to recover from an ongoing injury. Windass was Wrexham's Player of the Season for 2025/26 but will not be available for the first league game of the new campaign.
There are more positive developments elsewhere in the Wrexham squad. Ben Sheaf, who missed pre-season because of injury, is getting closer to a return, according to Parkinson. Liberato Cacace has continued working at the training ground after suffering a fatigue issue which ruled him out of Wrexham's Carabao Cup tie against Middlesbrough.
There was also encouraging news regarding Max Cleworth, who played against Liverpool and Sunderland during Wrexham's US tour before getting further minutes in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Wigan Athletic on Monday. Ben Whiteman also featured against Wigan after making his debut against Middlesbrough.
With both sides dealing with absences, the fitness of key players could prove significant when Cardiff and Wrexham meet under the lights on Monday. For Cardiff, the availability of Osho provides Barry-Murphy with a welcome boost in an area where his options have been stretched, although Lawlor's expected absence means the defensive situation remains a concern.
