CHOPS AWAY.

Byline: Terry Phillips

MICHAEL Chopra has matched the best-ever start to a season by a Cardiff City striker with six goals in the first three Championship matches, but manager Dave Jones warns: "There's better to come."

Geordie hitman Chopra is the first Bluebirds player in the club's 100-year history to fire six goals in the opening three league fixtures while scoring in all three.

Tomorrow, Chopra is aiming to lift his goals tally even higher when Bristol City visit Cardiff City Stadium (1.15pm).

"Chops is a goal-scorer," says Jones. "He has fantastic movement. He's a clever player in and around the penalty area. And he can get even better - there is more to come."

Only one other City player, 1927 FA Cup final goals ace Hughie Ferguson, scored six goals in the first three matches of a season - and five of those came in a 7-0 win against Burnley.

Chopra scored twice against Scunthorpe, netted City's goal in the 1-1 draw at Blackpool and a hat-trick at Plymouth Argyle.

"Chops is a better player now then when he was with us before," says Jones.

"The experience of playing in the Premier League with Sunderland has helped him.

"He is good enough to play at that level now. There are things in his game that he needs to continue to work on like a lot of the players we have.

"Last season he was suffering a bit with a heel injury. That was hard to shake off. His personal life was up and down and it all adds up. People just expect players to turn up and play, but if they have got other problems in their life then it can take its toll.

"Everything that was going on did affect him, but he's now got his head down. He's working hard.

"Not all the problems have gone away, but he's working at them and if he continues to play the way he is then the fans and everybody at this football club will be happy.

"He has nothing to prove to anybody but himself."

Big-match preview: Pages 42& 43