Bristol City face an anxious wait over forwards Andi Weimann and Tommy Conway with the duo to be assessed over the next 24 hours after sustaining hamstring injuries against Swansea City.
The Robins fought back to draw 1-1 with the Welsh side in the FA Cup third round at Ashton Gate but lost Conway in the 25th minute and Weimann in injury time, both to similar-looking injuries with manager Nigel Pearson unable to offer any clarity on the severity.
Speaking immediately after the game, Pearson couldn't venture any further details and said he wouldn’t know more until they were assessed and analysed at the Robins High Performance Centre but, at least in Conway’s case, he left the field hobbling rather than having to be carried off.
Both are key players for City with Conway having scored nine goals in 30 appearances, in what is his breakout campaign for the club, while last season’s top-scorer Weimann has four goals and four assists and has started 23 Championship fixtures.
It is, however, the third injury he’s sustained over the season, having knee and leg issues previously that potentially have held him back from being as explosive and efficient as he was during the 2021/22 season.
City host Birmingham City at Ashton Gate in the Championship on Saturday, offering a tight turnaround between matches. Before that, the Robins face Cardiff City in an Under-21 fixture and Pearson could use the match as an opportunity to start Tomas Kalas and develop his fitness after a significant lay-off.
Kalas hasn’t started a game for City since March 5 last year and underwent knee surgery in the summer only to make a brief comeback in mid-October before suffering further complications with groin and knee problems, which left him in too much physical pain to play.
The 29-year-old has been training on the grass at the HPC and after previously hinting at a New Year return, Pearson could test his fitness against the Bluebirds at Leckwith Stadium, with further U21 fixtures against Newcastle United in the Premier League Cup next Wednesday and then at Swansea City the following Monday.
In response to a question about whether Kalas could be involved in an Under-21 fixture: “Yeah, he'll need something. For Tomas as well, I want to expose him back in the team when it's right to do it. He's had a long lay off and he looks really fit as being in a good head space too.
"He's a popular player and a player who we know what he does. He enjoys defending and so it would be good to have him available again.
“I watched Tomas train and he looks really strong and when he's back in contention I think he will be back to his best. He looks very fit and very lean and he's smiling a lot which is good. He's making really good progress.”
SIGN UP: For our daily Robins newsletter, bringing you the latest from Ashton Gate
READ NEXT
