Bristol City midfielder Andy King has undergone surgery for a second time this season on a hamstring injury putting the rest of his campaign in doubt.
King was out for 10 weeks when he suffered his first hamstring problem against Bournemouth on October 16, returning to first-team action on December 30, and having undergone another procedure, it's reasonable to expect a similar timeframe.
The 33-year-old was taken off in the first half during the 3-2 Severnside Derby victory over Cardiff City, and after two scans on the problem, Pearson confirmed on Thursday he has gone under the knife to try and rectify that issue.
Best-case scenario appears that the defensive midfielder is able to return around early to mid April which would leave around 4-5 games of the season remaining, but given it's the second such injury and with King's advancing years, that remains a very optimistic target.
King's prolonged absence leaves City a little light in central midfield, at least in terms of numbers, as Pearson also confirmed Matty James won't be available and his matchday squad at Bloomfield Road will be "similar" to what it was against Preston North End last Saturday.
James has been experiencing pain with his plantar fascia - the ligament that connects the heel with the front of the foot - and has been walking with a protective boot to help the injury heal, having missed the Robins last five matches in all competitions.
With King and James out, Pearson has just three senior central midfielders in Han-Noah Massengo, Alex Scott and Joe Williams, although there remain concerns over the latter's ability to start games at this moment in time, given his own hamstring problems.
City will also be without centre-back Rob Atkinson for the next three weeks after the 23-year-old also underwent two lots of scans, in his case on a calf complaint.
Atkinson originally thought he had damaged his back in the Severnside Derby but further investigations have revealed his calf is the cause of the discomfort, an injury he also sustained earlier in the season prior to the defeat at Coventry City in November.
Atkinson's return could therefore coincide with right-back George Tanner who's expected to be out until the end of the month with a hamstring injury suffered against QPR on December 30.
Meanwhile, teenage defender Ryley Towler is back on the grass after back problems have prevented him being able to train in recent weeks. According to Pearson the 19-year-old, who started against Millwall on January 2, is experiencing an injury common in young players, as they continue to grow and fill out their body shape.
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