Jay Bothroyd reflected on his week off and insisted he would be refreshed and ready for us next weekend

The Cardiff City striker lines up against the Swans next weekend at Cardiff City Stadium having missed yesterday's clash with Crystal Palace as well as the midweek fixture against Leicester.

Bothroyd is currently sitting out a two match ban through accumulation of bookings and expressed his frustration but also there seemed to be a sense of relief that he gets to take part in the derby clash on Saturday.

He told Wales on Sunday “It’s so frustrating, I don’t want to miss any games but especially ones like this at this stage of the season.

“But the last two bookings have cost me.

“I should have had a penalty against Sheffield United but I’ve had a yellow card for diving – and against Watford the ref has said I’ve elbowed Adrian Mariappa.

“But I’m taller than him so when I put my arms out they are going to be around his neck.

“It’s ludicrous but we have to deal with that and I’ve got to miss two games. I’m gutted about it but hopefully I can come back refreshed in time for the derby.

“As hard as it is to take, a week’s rest can do me a lot of good. Hopefully I can go straight into the derby producing the kind of things I was before the ban.

“It’s obviously a massive game for the club and the fans because of the bragging rights,” he said.

“But the fact is we want to win every game we play. It will be the same against Leicester before the Swansea game and Forest after it.

“The key for us is not who we’re playing, but the performance we put in. That’s going to be key for us.

“We’re not looking at Blackpool or Sheffield United. We’re not looking below us full stop.

“We’re looking to progress and that’s in our hands.

“We don’t have to look at other teams because if we play like we did against Sheffield United the other night then we’ll win more games than we lose.

“We’re looking above us and overtaking the teams there.”

Photo: Action Images

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