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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
Sport
Richard Forrester

Pearson sends message to his Bristol City strikers as Semenyo return provides welcome dilemma

Nigel Pearson won't rush Antoine Semenyo back into the starting line-up with Bristol City's forward line fit and firing.

The striker has returned two goals in just 47 minutes of action following his return from a shin injury picked up over the summer including scoring within two minutes of his introduction to drag City level against Blackpool on Saturday.

His comeback is a welcome selection dilemma for Pearson with an attacking force that has wasted little time in picking up where they left off last season. City are already the joint highest scorers in the Championship with 11 goals in their first six matches and the form of Tommy Conway in particular has been another major positive to the club's start of the campaign.

The youngster has taken to the Championship like a duck to water having scored three league goals in his first four starts while Nahki Wells is also taking his opportunity playing alongside Conway.

Pearson admitted he doesn't know when he'll consider Semenyo from the start but admits there's no rush because the club's striking options are giving themselves every opportunity of staking their claims.

Speaking ahead of the Huddersfield contest, Pearson said: "I'm not a medical man so I don't know but I'm just pleased that he's (Semenyo) is in contention and he's pain-free.

"He's had an impact in both games when he's come on so he's a very exciting player, a very talented player and it's just really good to have him back in the shake-up if you like.

"In terms of the forwards, I just think it's more to do with if you're in form and in the team stay there so I don't necessarily see reasons to freshen it up for loading reasons. I think the challenge for our forwards is if they're in the team, stay there.

"Rotation is not the word I use it's about being sensible with understanding the needs of certain players. So in the midfield area for example with Joe Williams we've talked extensively about the necessity towards the end of last season and at the start of this to try and be sensible with how we use him and the intensity with how he plays."

Pearson also emphasised the desire to keep hold of City's best players before Thursday's transfer deadline but raised the hypothetical scenario that if a £30million offer came in for one of their prized-assets, it would be very difficult to turn down.

Semenyo and Alex Scott are the two players who have been linked with moves to the Premier League although Pearson admitted "nothing's happened" in regards to receiving any suitable bids. Although he conceded he will look to be active for two new players should something develop.

"I think the fans get really excited but then you have someone like me who says, ‘don’t get excited because I don’t expect anything to happen’, but something might," he added.

“I’ve got my eyes on getting somebody in and have done all summer. Say for instance, hypothetically, one of our players left, and we don’t want any of our players to leave - let’s be absolutely crystal clear on that - we would probably like to get at least two players in, and one would hopefully be a permanent and one would probably be a loan.

"But that’s as close as you're ever going to get me speculating because, in my own head I probably think nothing will happen, and I hope we don’t have to let one of our players go because we want our best players here."

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