Cambridge United face tough pre-season test against Cardiff City

As Cambridge United begin a five-day training camp in South Wales, attentions turn to their first pre-season friendly against Cardiff City.

The U’s reported back for their pre-season preparations at the start of July, but are yet to play in front of fans. Mark Bonner’s side did face an unconfirmed Premier League outfit last weekend in a behind closed doors game, which is widely reported to have been a 2-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur’s first team.

While no fans will be allowed to attend Saturday’s match at the Cardiff International Sports Stadium, this will be the first chance for Cambridge fans to see their team in action (albeit via a live stream) since winning promotion against Grimsby Town at the start of May.

This includes seven new signings, although two of them are already well known to the U’s supporters. Sam Smith joined on loan from Reading for the curtailed 2019/20 campaign, while Shilow Tracey spent the second half of last season at The Abbey. Both have now returned to Cambridge on a permanent basis after being released from their respective parent clubs.

James Brophy, Lloyd Jones and George Williams will be looking to impress on their first documented run-out for their new side after joining on free transfers. Ipswich Town academy graduate Jack Lankester perhaps faces increased pressure to perform, with the U’s having forked out an undisclosed transfer fee to bring the 21-year-old to The Abbey.

Cambridge’s newest arrival, Jensen Weir, has played the least amount of senior football out of anyone in the first team squad. The 19-year-old midfielder will spend the upcoming season on loan with the U’s from Brighton, but has only ever played in two matches outside of youth level.

That being said, he’s considered to be one of the biggest stars in the Seagulls’ academy after leaving Wigan Athletic for £500,000 in 2020. A consistent run of performances in his loan spell could soon see him become part of Graham Potter’s plans in the near future.

Cardiff will also be keen to show off their new acquisitions on Saturday afternoon, with ex-Luton striker James Collins arguably the biggest name to arrive in the Welsh capital so far this summer. The 30-year-old scored ten league goals for the Hatters last season as they comfortably secured another season in the Championship.

Mark McGuinness and Ryan Wintle have also joined Mick McCarthy’s side on a permanent basis after impressing in League One last season. McGuinness opted to leave Arsenal after a strong campaign on loan at Ipswich Town, while Wintle has been a crucial player for Crewe Alexandra since signing for them in 2015. Both played in the Bluebirds’ 5-0 friendly win against Bath City last weekend.

With Saturday’s game being played as two one-hour halves, both Cambridge and Cardiff will have ample opportunity to give all their players a run out. This includes any trialists or youth players on the fringes of first team football, although Lewis Simper won’t feature for the U’s after joining Yeovil Town on loan.

Fans can also expect to get a glimpse of what tactics Bonner will employ for the upcoming season. Cambridge ended the campaign by playing a 4-4-2 diamond formation, although it looks increasingly likely that they’ll revert to the flat 4-4-2 that they used in the first half of their promotion-winning season.

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