Source: Daily_Mail
Cardiff's Craig Bellamy remains a doubt ahead of play-off semi-final
ShareCardiff manager Dave Jones is being made to sweat on the fitness of his talisman Craig Bellamy as the club aim to book their place in the npower Championship play-off final at Wembley.[LNB]Bellamy has managed 11 goals in 36 appearances during his season-long loan from Manchester City and will be given as long as he can to prove his fitness ahead of the decisive semi-final second leg against Reading in the Welsh capital.[LNB]Cardiff-born Bellamy limped off after only 17 minutes of Friday's goalless first leg at the Madejski Stadium nursing a hamstring strain.[LNB] The pain game: Bellamy remains a doubt for the play-off semi-final with Reading[LNB]Manager Dave Jones, who is also sweating over two other unnamed players, said: 'We'll leave it as late as possible, he's still got a chance and we'll look at him tomorrow. He came off as quickly as he could get off so we'll just wait and see.'[LNB]Asked whether the Wales international has to be 100 per cent, Jones replied: 'That will be down to the individual, it's not just Craig - there's one or two others, it will be down to them.[LNB]'You've got to be sensible and if you think you can give a performance then you go with it, if you don't then you've got to be honest enough to say 'no, I don't think it's right' and you give somebody else an opportunity.'[LNB]Cardiff - as well Bellamy himself - are no stranger to managing his injuries, with the 31-year-old having negotiated his troublesome knee problem for much of the campaign.[LNB]And Jones added: 'If anybody knows his body then it should be him. He'll know himself, he's professional enough and he's wise enough now.[LNB]Game over: Bellamy limps off during the first leg[LNB]'He's had lots of injuries in his career where maybe he's gone and not done himself any favours by playing, so he'll know and it'll be an honest answer from him. And that's all you can ever ask.'[LNB]Jones continued: 'Craig's a catalyst towards what the football club is trying to do but we've played before without him and if that's the case then you get on with it because it doesn't matter what player you have injured, you've still got to replace him and that's why you try to build a squad.[LNB]'If he's not right then of course it'll be a massive blow, just as much as it would be if we lost any of our players.'[LNB]The semi-final is finely poised after neither side managed to break the deadlock last Friday. It promises to be another nervy night at the Cardiff City Stadium, just 12 months after City edged an anxious penalty shootout against Leicester following a thrilling 3-3 draw, eventually losing 3-2 to Blackpool in the Wembley final.[LNB]The Bluebirds are aiming to go one better this time around but first they must overcome Reading, and Jones knows the tie hangs very much in the balance.[LNB]'I think the most important thing on Friday was to stay within the game, it's over two legs,' he said.'There's old cliches you could throw around but myself and I'm sure Brian (McDermott, Reading boss), from talking to him, it was about going into the second leg either on winning terms or even, you didn't want to be losing.[LNB]'And that's why the game was so hard and a bit of a stalemate, because it's about staying in the game. It's half-time because it's over two legs and you have to be within a shout of being able to do something in the second leg. [LNB]'It's no good going into the second leg if you're three or four down, basically the tie is over. If we'd have come away with a victory it would have been absolutely fantastic, so we got the next best thing which was a draw. And I'm sure Brian will be saying exactly the same.'[LNB] Testing times: Cardiff host the Royals with the sides locked at 0-0 following the goalless first leg[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: Craig Bellamy Places: Cardiff, Wales
