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Cardiff's lack of firepower in the opening day 0-1 home loss to Stoke has fuelled a search for a new striker, but Robbie Fowler will not be rushed back.

"Robbie hasn't had the pre-season preparation and he'll play when he's ready," said Cardiff boss Dave Jones. "He's not far off, but playing him when he's not right will damage him and bring nothing to the team. We all know I haven't got enough firepower, I'm looking around but the problem is the prices being asked."

The Bluebirds lost top-scorer Michael Chopra to Sunderland in the summer, the £5m man scoring a dramatic injury-time winner on his debut, Saturday's Premiership opener against Tottenham.

"Maybe I'm to blame for the prices by messing up the market when I sold Chopra," said Jones. "Southampton want £5m for Kenwynne Jones - we haven't got that sort of money, but that's the type of player we need, someone who can break it up for us."

Jones' big-name summer signings were Fowler and Trevor Sinclair, who both arrived on free transfers. Steven MacLean was another free transfer, the striker missing the late penalty at Ninian Park that cost Cardiff a draw against Stoke.

"I've heard that was the first penalty he's ever missed so it's ironic that it came at a time like that," Sinclair told BBC Sport Wales. "We may have to keep him away from the spot in the future, but it was an unbelievable save from their keeper. Steven will get a bit of mickey-taking on the training pitch, but it will all be quickly forgotten."

Former England wing Sinclair took encouragement from the Bluebirds' performance on his competitive debut.

"The result was disappointing given the chances we created and the way we played," he said. "They are a physical side, but we put ourselves about the pitch in a commanding way. At the end of the day we've got no points on the board, but it's a long season where we'll play worse and win games."