Sivert Mannsverk spoke to the press to preview our Sky Bet Championship clash with Sunderland on Saturday afternoon.
The midfielder, who joined the Bluebirds on loan from Ajax in January, began by reflecting on his time in the Welsh capital so far.
“I find it nice here. It’s a great group and a nice city, so I’m enjoying it so far. The football is a bit different, it’s a tough and special league. Every game has their own challenges and is different from game to game. We have had some away games where there hasn’t been a lot of play, but more duels, then we have had some home games where we have had more of a chance to play. I enjoy the switch.
“My match fitness is coming. What I’m most happy with is how my body has reacted to playing a lot of games. I’m really happy with that. It’s not just been one long injury, but twice, before I came, so it was a tough time but I feel like I’ve settled in here and I’m really happy with how my body and my ankle is reacting to this physical league.
Saturday's opponents, Sunderland, currently sit fourth in the second-tier table and claimed a 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday last time out.
Sivert continued: "We played Burnley and we played Aston Villa, we were really low [defensively] against Aston Villa, but against Burnley, we had a good game, especially the second half and we showed that we have the quality to fight for points against the top teams in this league.
"We’ll go there to get points and to hope for a win. When we think the other teams in the relegation battle are playing against these type of teams, we hope and we think that maybe they will lose against these kind of teams, but I think that we have shown that we can compete against all the teams in this league."
This weekend's fixture is the first of three matches before the international break, with clashes against Luton Town and Blackburn Rovers to follow.
"We have three games now in seven days. I’m used to that as well," Sivert added. "I’ve played in Europe for the last four years, so I’m ready for it. When I spoke to the coach before I came here, I played 50-60 games per season, so I’m used to playing midweek games, so I just find that fun.
"It's important to pick up points, but we also want to have a good performance. Of course, the most important thing right now is to get the results that we want, but sometimes, results come with the performances and in this group, there is a lot of quality."