Cardiff City boss Neil Harris has admitted he dropped Neil Etheridge for the South Wales derby due to speculation over his future at the club.
The Bluebirds shot-stopper is on the radar of several Premier League clubs this month, according to the latest reports in the media, with West Ham the club heavily linked with him.
Having starred for Cardiff in the top flight last term, speculation has ramped up this week over a potential move away from the club.
Etheridge was a surprise omission from the Cardiff side selected to face their nearest rivals, with Alex Smithies replacing him in goal.
Speaking ahead of kick-off, Harris admitted that he chose to take Etheridge out of the side due to the transfer speculation surrounding him.
"A couple of things really, firstly we've changed shape, we played 3-4-3 at QPR and it didn't work for us so a personnel change because in our last league game it was a poor showing from us, I felt like we needed a few changes," Harris told Sky Sports ahead of kick-off.
"With the goalkeeper, there has been a lot of speculation around Neil (Etheridge). There has been a lot of talk in the press about him moving on this week and it's just a change to give Alex (Smithies) an opportunity, who has been very patient and good over a number of years in the Championship.
"Also, it's just giving Neil an opportunity to come out of the firing line because of the speculation around him."
