Bristol City will be without Matty James and Timm Klose for the visit of Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, Bristol Live understands.
James, 31, will sit out with a groin issue although it's not thought to be serious. It's the second injury he has picked up this season after pulling out of the warm-up with a calf issue before the defeat against Sunderland at the beginning of the campaign.
It saw him miss four matches before returning to action in the 3-1 victory over Wycombe in the EFL Cup three weeks after. His absence will prove a blow to Nigel Pearson with James proving integral to City's impressive form this season.
He has started in City's last four matches having forged a partnership with Alex Scott in the middle. His absence is likely to mean Joe Williams could come back into the side with the player looking to make his first start since the 3-3 draw with Blackpool just over a month ago.
Han-Noah Massengo will also be pushing for his fifth league start of the season with the Frenchman managing just 22 minutes of action in City's last four matches.
Defender Klose, a peripheral figure this season in terms of a starting role but who has provided defensive cover from the bench, will also sit out with a knee issue although it's unclear on the timescale of his return. It's his second issue with his knee this season having missed out against Blackpool.
It's a conundrum for Pearson who is already limited with options at the back. The manager will undoubtedly stick with the trio of Zak Vyner, Kal Naismith and Rob Atkinson but it's likely City will be without a recognised central defender on the bench for the sixth consecutive fixture.
Klose, 34, has yet to make a league start this season but did play 90 minutes in the EFL Cup victory over Wycombe in August. Pearson also provided an update on Tomas Kalas who remains sidelined with a knee injury.
The defender hasn't featured since March but Pearson previously admitted he could be back in action in "October or November". Asked if that was still the case, the manager said: "October and November builds in a buffer of about eight weeks so I can safely say at the moment, yes but I can't give you any definitive idea of when he will be available.
"He's making progress, working hard and typically (being) Tomas. He's a really likeable type of guy and he's working hard and hopefully, he will meet that sort of time frame but don't expect anything greater than that in terms of an idea for the next few weeks.
"We'll give you updates if there's anything going to change whether it's longer or shorter and hopefully he'll be available sooner rather than later."
Ayman Benarous remains a long-term absentee following his ACL injury towards the end of last season and is thought to be making great strides in his recovery with December a possible return.
SIGN UP: For our daily Robins newsletter, bringing you the latest from Ashton Gate
READ NEXT
