Chops ready for Sat but will he now be here next month?

It's been an interesting week for returning loanee and Cardiff City icon Michael Chopra. That pulsating up and down 2-2 draw at Swansea saw Chops win a penalty but then depart moments afterwards.

City fans initially thought he was sacrificed in a reshuffle after Steve McPhail's red card but Michael was suffering an ankle/heal injury. He returned to the North East for intensive treatment and returned to training yesterday and was, pleasingly, passed fit for tomorrow's key encounter with Preston North End.

However as he arrived back in South Wales, news emerged from Sunderland that manager Roy Keane had resigned which is set to impact on City's chances of keeping the player on loan for the season after his current spell finishes at New Year or buying him.

Keane has been feeling the heat with Sunderland on a losing run, criticism from fans, a number of seemingly poor highly priced signings and talk of losing the changing room - perhaps emphasised by his mega 46 (!!) man squad which currently includes 13 of them on loan, Chops included.

Dave Jones had been quietly confident of extending the loan deal or signing the player if, as many feel, Joe Ledley is sold for big money next month but with an imminent new manager, Chops a natural scorer whose loan to Cardiff was bemoaned by many Black Cats followers, will the door soon be closing?

Chops has 6 games of his loan remaining, hopefully he'll bag us goals and points in those whatever happens.