Kal Naismith has handed Bristol City a fitness boost after appearing to have returned to full training following his calf injury issues.
The defender hasn't featured since hobbling off in the 0-0 draw with Coventry City on October 4, with an initial 10-day diagnosis then extended all the way into November. However, despite it being a relatively straightforward injury, Nigel Pearson called for patience on his return to action after conceding he was struggling with the load he was being put through.
The City manager welcomed the World Cup break as an opportunity for Naismith to recover with City's form suffering since his absence. The Robins have won just two of the 10 games he has missed since his injury.
The players returned to the High Performance Centre on Tuesday following time off last week. They will undergo a mini pre-season, including playing a behind-closed-doors game against Southampton before the trip to Rotherham United on December 10 when the Championship resumes.
Naismith was among the group of players back on the training field at the High Performance Centre, as is evident through a club video on their social channels. He, along with his team-mates, were predicting the outcome of the England versus Wales contest on Tuesday where the Scot joked Gareth Southgate's side would lose 10-0.
The intensity of his training schedule is unclear but the fact he was back on the field inspires confidence that he could be fit to face Rotherham where he would undoubtedly slot back in the heart of the back three. The 30-year-old had started all of City's 12 Championship matches before his injury.
Speaking before the international break, Pearson shared the importance of having Naismith in the team. He said: "Sometimes you don’t realise players until they are not there. I think that is a sign of a good player. Players go out there and do a good job for the team, they don’t necessarily have to be the most eye-catching at times.
“I think Kal plays with a very positive intent with everything he does. He’s a good organiser too and motivated. We’ve undoubtedly missed his presence in the team but he is still with us and he is still a very important character around the dressing room and the training ground.”
There was no sign of Tomas Kalas who was also struggling with a calf problem before the break. The defender made his return to action for the first time in seven months when he was introduced as a substitute in the defeat against Millwall.
The 29-year-old would also play two minutes against West Brom before picking up another issue and there's no clear timeline for his return. The Czech Republic international has been on holiday in Dubai and in responding to a fan question on Instagram about his possible return, he replied: "I wish I had the answer and trust me it's been too long."
One player also training with the first-team is 16-year-old Elijah Morrison. The attacking talent, who usually plays on the left, has featured for the Under-21s this season and was an unused substitute in the 3-1 League Cup defeat against Lincoln City.
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