Bristol City boss Nigel Pearson has provided fans with an update on their five injured players, with times currently looking bright at Ashton Gate.
Following on from their 4-1 demolition of Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday, Pearson has brought even more welcomed news to the fan base, with an injury update that could see one key player returning to the matchday squad on Saturday against Leicester.
The return of club captain Andi Weimann looks on the cards, and the addition of the versatile Austrian will help to both bolster the attacking ranks as well as helping implement his leadership qualities back into the matchday squad. Weimann has played just 26 minutes this season having damaged a tendon in his foot in the season opener against Preston and will be a welcomed addition back to the matchday squad.
Pearson has not rushed to bring the Austrian back, and has been cautious with his captain’s ongoing injury. He has however confirmed that the 32-year-old will be in the squad on Saturday and will be hoping he can help continue the Robins positive start to the season.
Another player who also went down in the season opener against Preston was youngster Tommy Conway. The 21-year-old hasn’t seen the field in the last six weeks having suffered a hamstring injury in the 1-1 draw, but Pearson has stated that a return in the coming weeks for the young Scotsman is on the horizon:
“He’s well on track to be back sometime in October which is great, he’s doing very very well.”
Having netted nine goals in the Championship last season, Conway certainly has a bright future ahead of him and if able to get back to where he left off prior to the injury, we may see him eclipse those numbers this season.
Two players who will not be returning to the field anytime soon are defender Rob Atkinson and midfielder Ayman Benarous who are still set for a significant spells on the sidelines with ACL injuries. The manager has provided a further update on both of their rehabilitation programs, saying:
“Rob Atkinson’s doing very well too, and Ayman Benarous is on track, so we have a group of players who for them it’s been very difficult looking in from the outside, but they’re moving closer to hopefully what will be a positive outcome for all of them.”
Finally, Pearson also provided information on the current status of summer signing Ross McCrorie, who is yet to appear for the Robins this season. It is believed to be a bacterial infection which has kept the ex-Aberdeen man on the sidelines, with the defender having to have surgery to address the issues.
Speaking about the potential return of McCrorie, Pearson said:
“Ross’ surgery went very well also, so that’s a really good sign. That doesn’t mean that we get excited about his comeback date, at the moment the most important thing is that the surgery was good, and he’s very positive.”
A Positive Start
The Robins currently sit in seventh position in the Championship, and are unbeaten in their last four games. The result against Plymouth on Tuesday night proved that they are a side going places currently, and with this positive injury update, they may improve even more. A tough assignment away at Leicester on Saturday will show where Pearson’s side are currently, and returning back to Bristol with any points would be significant for a potential push for the Championship play-offs.
Writer’s View
Not many would’ve expected Bristol City to be this high up the table early in the season, especially after losing star man Alex Scott to Bournemouth in the summer. The 4-1 win against Plymouth on Tuesday really showed the quality in the side and Ashton Gate seemed to be bouncing to a level that hadn’t be seen in quite some time. With the return of some key players looking likely in the next couple of weeks, it would come as no surprise to see the Robins battling in the top ten.
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