Jones is working to keep the derby clash in perspective

Boss Dave Jones is struggling to keep a lid on Cardiff expectation ahead of Tuesday's eagerly awaited Welsh derby.

"People keep saying we're going into the lion's den," said Jones before the third-round Carling Cup clash with Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.

"But both teams are used to big and noisy stadiums, if that was to affect you then you're in the wrong game."

But local Cardiff boy Joe Ledley said: "This is massive for players and fans, it's the one everyone looks for."

The cup game is the first fully-fledged Welsh derby for nine years at this level and is the first of three meetings this season between Championship rivals Cardiff and Swansea.

Whoever wins will have the bragging rights until the two sides meet again in the league at the end of November.

"As the only Cardiff man in the team I'm expecting a lot of stick," midfielder Ledley, a lifelong Bluebirds fan, told BBC Sport Wales.

"I'll be so proud to be out there - if I wasn't playing I'd be in the stands cheering Cardiff on.

"If we were to lose - put it this way, I wouldn't be answering the phone! My brother and father would certainly have something to say to me!

"But we're looking to the next round so hopefully we can get that win."

606: DEBATE Give your thoughts on the Welsh derby

While Ledley is the only local man in the Cardiff team, Jones says that the Bluebirds will have no problem grasping the magnitude of the occasion.

"They know what it's all about from the derby matches near their homes," Jones told BBC Sport Wales.

"It's a night match, there'll be a lot of noise and we'll only have 1,000 fans there, but the players will rise to it.

"There's a lot of hype, but it's a long season that is not all about our clashes with Swansea - those games will not determine our future as a football club.

"Having said that, I totally understand the importance of the fixture, and I urge the fans to remember that it's all about football."