Barnsley and Cardiff will put league matters to one side as they battle it out for a fairytale FA Cup final appearance.
Championship rivals aim to continue fairytale
Barnsley and Cardiff will put league matters to one side as they battle it out for a fairytale FA Cup final appearance.
The Championship sides clash in Sunday's semi-final at Wembley for the right to face either Portsmouth or West Brom in what will be a surprise final.
Barnsley have restored the magic of the cup this year by beating Liverpool at Anfield before knocking out holders Chelsea to make it into the last four.
Cardiff, meanwhile, overcame Middlesbrough in the quarter-finals and the Bluebirds are favourites for their first FA Cup semi-final since winning the competition in 1927 as they lie nine places above Barnsley in the Championship table.
Cup heroics
The Tykes have been unable to replicate their cup heroics in the league, losing their last three games, and could find themselves in the relegation zone after Saturday's Championship fixtures.
But manager Simon Davey has urged his side to forget about their league troubles and enjoy the occasion as the club prepare for their biggest cup game since beating West Brom in the 1912 FA Cup final.
Defender Stephen Foster, who scored in the fifth-round victory at Anfield, has been ruled out by Davey after suffering a badly-bruised foot.
Former Manchester United trainee Daniel Nardiello is unlikely to feature having suffered a hamstring injury in training this week, while fellow striker Jon Macken is cup-tied.
Fitness tests
Cardiff boss Dave Jones will hand late fitness tests to strike pair Paul Parry and Steve Thompson, who were both forced off during Tuesday's goalless draw against West Brom with muscle strains.
Robbie Fowler (hip) is still sidelined and Warren Feeney is cup-tied but veteran Dutch striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who picked up a runners' up medal with Chelsea in 2002, will return following a three-match ban.
