Bristol City boss Gerhard Struber has confirmed Max Bird will be sidelined for the next few weeks with a calf problem.
The midfielder has missed the last two Championship fixtures and is not expected back imminently, with City exploring in-house solutions ahead of Ipswich Town’s visit to Ashton Gate on Tuesday night.
EFL Championship
Bird Ruled Out For “Next Few Weeks”
Bird featured in four of City’s opening five league games after overcoming a pre-season setback, but a fresh calf issue kept him out of the defeat to Oxford United and the 0-0 draw at Preston North End.
Struber provided clarity after the Deepdale stalemate, stating the 24-year-old “will be out for the next few weeks,” meaning City must cope without a player recruited to anchor the press and link play through midfield. The update follows a careful assessment period in which the head coach had initially resisted putting a timeline on Bird’s return.
Vyner Considered In Midfield As Injuries Mount
City’s engine room has been stretched. Joe Williams remains unavailable and Jason Knight was forced off late on at Preston with a groin concern, with scan results to determine his short-term involvement. With no senior midfielder on the bench at Deepdale, George Tanner covered from the right and Zak Vyner stepped into a more advanced role, almost creating a late winner for Anis Mehmeti before an excellent save denied the Albanian.
Asked about using Vyner centrally, Struber was positive, highlighting the defender’s intelligence and suitability for the role, while Adam Randell offers a natural option to steer the side through this injury squeeze.
Selection Picture For Ipswich Town
Attention now turns to Ipswich in midweek, with Struber and his staff balancing continuity against the need for stability in the middle of the pitch. If Knight is not passed fit, the head coach could turn to a Randell-plus-one pairing, with Vyner the wild-card solution if he is not required at centre-back.
An alternative would be to keep the back line intact and lean on positional tweaks for Tanner and Ross McCrorie to maintain City’s pressing triggers. Either way, the plan will aim to preserve the compact shape that earned a point at Preston while restoring some final-third punch.
Writer’s View
Bird’s absence removes a key connector between defence and attack, but City have shown enough organisation to ride out a short spell without him. Randell’s control and Knight’s energy are vital, and if Knight’s scan brings caution, Vyner is a credible short-term fix that preserves Struber’s principles out of possession.
With Ipswich on the horizon, the priority is not wholesale change, it is small adjustments that keep City secure, allow wide players like Mehmeti to decide moments, and ensure Bird returns to a side that has stayed on course rather than one forced into a reset.
