"They should be worried" - Plymouth Argyle sent warning over "remarkable" Cardiff City star | OneFootball

The Leicester City loanee impressed against Bristol City and could be a real threat once again this weekend.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

A run of three games without a win in the Championship has seen Cardiff City slip back into relegation contention, however, they do have a game in hand on Derby County, who occupy the bottom three.

Yousef Salech's 90th minute equaliser against Bristol City at the weekend earned the Bluebirds a crucial point as they look to retain their second tier status, with the goal cancelling out Jason Knight's opener on the hour mark.

Omer Riza's side make the journey across the Bristol Channel to Devon on Saturday to face fellow strugglers Plymouth Argyle, with the Pilgrims also in the relegation zone alongside the Rams and Luton Town.

A win at Home Park would be a huge statement for Cardiff and will help push them closer to safety with just over two-and-a-half months left in the season.

Plymouth fired warning about young Cardiff star

It's been a very up-and-down few months for the Bluebirds, and after a strong run of form that saw them climb out of the drop zone and into safety, February has not been a good month for Riza and his team have fallen back into the clutches of those in the bottom three.

But the performance of a young Leicester City loanee against Bristol City at home last Saturday has renewed hopes that the South Wales outfit have enough quality to change their fortunes.

Football League World asked their Cardiff Fan Pundit, Jack Price, which player should Plymouth fear the most this weekend.

He told FLW: "The one player in this Cardiff side who I think Plymouth should probably be concerned about is, and I'm going to throw it out there, Will Alves.

"I thought he was quality against Bristol City at the weekend in what was his first ever start in the league, his first ever 90 minutes. He was brilliant, he was top draw. I think it's remarkable for somebody who is still only 19 and is clearly raw in some respects to look after the ball under pressure the way he does is quality.

"There were many times when he had two or even three men on him and he very rarely gave the ball away. I think there are a few crosses that were a bit wayward, but in terms of being dispossessed, nobody could get near him."

Jack continued: "Then, in the second half, you saw him being a bit more adventurous, a bit more direct, taking players and making things happen. He was at the heartbeat of a lot of what we did in that second half. He's really nippy, he's got skill, he can look after the ball, he knows when to play the pass, when to hold on and when to release. He's clearly intelligent in a footballing sense.

"I think Plymouth could be really worried about him if he puts in that sort of display again. The caveats: I'd like to see Alves try and be a bit more confident in front of goal. There was one time against Bristol City, where he had a really good opening, and in this one instance he did hold on to the ball for too long when he could have shot, and he may have scored.

"His crosses were not always pinpoint, but apart from that, he is the type of player who will be a nightmare for opposition full backs. He's very, very good at helping us get on the front foot and he can pin back opponents. So, they should be worried.

"I'm hoping that he starts again because I think he could make a massive, massive difference."

Cardiff have an excellent opportunity to get themselves back into form

Taking a point at home to Bristol City was an excellent result for Cardiff, and they will take a huge amount of confidence from it. Plymouth have picked up in recent weeks, but they are still vulnerable at times.

The Bluebirds have already beaten Argyle this season, cruising past them at home back in October in a 5-0 win.

Miron Muslic has made his side more compact and they are harder to beat than they were, but if Alves can bring the same level of quality to the game on Saturday as he did against the Robins, then Plymouth could find themselves in trouble.

Cardiff have the ability to pick off teams even when they have not been at their best, but they need to show this more consistently and this has to start at Home Park.