Roy Keane will be forced into at least one change when Town take on Cardiff tonight with Grant Leadbitter suspended.

The midfielder picked up his 10th booking of the season in the defeat at Blackpool and begins a two match suspension.

"It's a big loss because he's an important player for us but Grant knows he will get little sympathy from me," says the Town boss.

" I've got no problem with him getting yellow cards for tackles. He's playing in the middle of the park but too many of his bookings have been for dissent.

"He needs to learn from the experience because he'll be the most frustrated player at the Club over the next two games."

Jack Colback and Owen Garvan will be among the players vying for a central midfield berth with Roy saying: "Jack has done a job for us at left-back but we have missed him in midfield. We have missed his energy and his goal threat."

Cardiff have lost more games than Blues this season but sit in the top six and Roy expects them to finish in the Play-Off places.

They have the two leading scorers in the Championship in Peter Whittingham with 16 goals and Michael Chopra with 14 and it's their attacking threat that the Town boss is wary of.

"They have a very good, experienced manager in Dave Jones, who is used to wheeling and dealing and are certainly an ambitious club," adds Roy.

"They just missed out on the Play-Offs last season but I don't see that happening this year. With the goals they have in their team, they will cement a place in the top six.

"When you have got the firepower they have, you have always got a chance to win football matches.

"Their attacking threat is something we have to be wary of in what is sure to be a difficult game for us but the players have got to stand up and be counted now because we are in a critical part of the season."

Cardiff are likely to be without Whittingham, who is sidelined with a groin injury while Joe Ledley and Mark Hudson are long term absentees.