Exclusive: David Prutton raises Cardiff City fears after Derby County, Plymouth Argyle developments | OneFootball

David Prutton has given his view on the Championship relegation battle following a bad week for Cardiff City.

Sky Sports pundit David Prutton admits Cardiff City have been dragged deeper into the Championship relegation battle after midweek victories for Derby County, Luton Town and Plymouth Argyle.

After over two months in caretaker charge following the sacking of Erol Bulut, Cardiff handed Omer Riza the permanent job in December, but some supporters questioned the timing of the appointment as it came during a poor run of form.

It initially looked as though the Bluebirds' decision to end the managerial uncertainty was a good call as they went on a seven-game unbeaten run in December and January, but it has been a tough few weeks for Riza's men.

Cardiff have won just one of their last eight league games, and they suffered their third consecutive defeat as they were beaten 2-1 by relegation rivals Luton on Tuesday night, with goals from Jordan Clark and Thelo Aasgaard turning the game around for the Hatters after Calum Chambers put the hosts ahead.

If that defeat was not damaging enough for the Bluebirds, Derby and Plymouth also secured crucial wins in midweek, and they now sit just one point clear of the relegation zone ahead of the trip to face ninth-placed Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Saturday.

David Prutton outlines Cardiff City fears in Championship relegation battle verdict

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Prutton admitted that the situation is becoming increasingly perilous for Cardiff as they get dragged closer to the relegation zone, but with just seven points separating bottom side Plymouth and 18th-placed Hull City, he believes the fight for survival could go down to the wire.

"Wins for Derby, Luton and Plymouth - the current bottom three - in midweek mean that Cardiff are just a point clear of those places," Prutton said.

"It's getting very tight down there indeed, you're looking all the way up to potentially Hull City in this fight for survival.

"All of these teams, as we've seen, have manoeuvred with different management over the course of the season.

"Derby are seemingly clicking into gear under John Eustace, Luton with Matt Bloomfield at the helm didn't change too much in terms of results after Rob Edwards left, but the win at Cardiff was really important as it could breed real confidence.

"Speaking of confidence and breathing life into a side, Miron Muslic is a charismatic leader of men, but, of course, the real test of his mettle is if Plymouth survive this season.

"They've shown they've got the fight, but I've got a feeling that it's certainly going to be a dramatic end to the season down there."

Cardiff City facing big Omer Riza call as international break looms

Cardiff's recent form has been incredibly poor, but the bigger picture is equally concerning, with Riza's men winning just four of their last 24 league games.

From a football and financial perspective, relegation to League One is unthinkable for the Bluebirds, but as they continue to slide down the table, it is becoming an increasingly realistic possibility.

Riza's future has long been a subject of debate among supporters, and should Cardiff suffer another defeat at Blackburn on Saturday, owner Vincent Tan may be forced to make a change over the international break in order to save the club's Championship status.