Much of the focus during the January transfer window will be on whether Nigel Pearson can engineer any funds to try and bolster his squad with much-needed additions.
They'll be a lot of mitigating factors that will affect the possibility of that happening, including the potential that one or two players may have to leave, but there is a necessity to add to the squad depth and in particular, improve the defence.
While a couple of City's big assets such as Alex Scott and Antoine Semenyo will undoubtedly be in the headlines, a handful of the younger talents may find themselves leaving the club on a temporary basis to build their first-team experience.
One of those could be Sam Bell as Bristol Live confirms Cheltenham are among at least five EFL clubs looking to sign him on loan during the New Year. Pearson and Brian Tinnion will discuss whether he has a part to play in the senior set-up before letting him leave.
The club have an abundance of talent in their Under-21 side, which is evident with their continued dominance, and therefore it will be no surprise to see lower league managers casting an eye on one or two other individuals over potential deals.
Here we look at five other City players who could head out on loan next month.
Stefan Bajic
Moving to a new country and a new culture is difficult for any player, let alone a 20-year-old still very much learning the ropes. Towards the beginning of October, Nigel Pearson claimed summer signing Stefan Bajic was playing himself into contention after impressing in training and with the Under-21s.
He was handed his first-team debut in the Carabao Cup against Lincoln and while it would have been a personal achievement, it wasn't quite the memorable experience he would have been hoping for. A 3-1 defeat took the shine off the loss and perhaps was an eye-opener into the intensity of the English game.
Bajic has been a regular in the youth side and while there's no doubting his potential, the early signs were that he could benefit from a regular run in a competitive team before mounting a serious challenge for the No1 shirt. The decision to loan him out will undoubtedly depend on Dan Bentley's short-term future.
If the club captain, whose deal expires in the summer, remains at the club beyond January then City may be tempted to allow Bajic to leave temporarily and therefore return ahead of next season with six months of action under his belt. If Bentley does end his three-and-a-half-year stay in BS3, Bajic could find himself promoted to the substitute bench as Max O'Leary's understudy.
Joe Low
With a string of consistently impressive performances in the youth side this season, Low rightfully earned his first start against Lincoln in the cup but endured a tough evening. It was a similar scenario to Ryley Towler's full debut against Millwall almost a year ago when the talent was taken off at half-time in the 3-2 victory.
Fast forward to now and Towler is thriving during a loan spell with AFC Wimbledon in which Low can take inspiration from. He has the attributes to become a top central defender, a player in the similar ilk of Tomas Kalas, and he's a leader in the side for the Under-21s.
That match against Lincoln was evidence that could do with some regular football in the lower leagues and get used to the pace of the game before being considered for the senior side. He did have a brief spell in the National League with Eastleigh where he featured eight times last season and another experience of a new environment where there's greater importance between winning and losing, will only benefit his game.
Dylan Kadji
Given City's lack of options particularly in midfield, you can understand the reluctance to let Dylan Kadji leave temporarily. At the beginning of the season, Pearson said the lack of squad depth means one or two players who they would like to send out on loan, are being asked to remain with the club.
That can arguably relate to Kadji who has been in and around the senior side this season after making his debut in the Carabao Cup victory over Wycombe at the beginning of the season. The 19-year-old has gone on to make three further appearances including two as a substitute in the league against Birmingham and Millwall while also starting against Lincoln.
Before breaking through this season, Kadji had spent time with Bath City so it's been quite a seismic step up to feature in the City senior side. If City can bring in another player in January, perhaps a loan signing of their own in midfield then Kadji may be tasked with staying put until called upon.
Pearson will also want to ensure Alex Scott remains a City player beyond January before sanctioning any move.
Duncan Idehen
The central defender returned to BS3 this month following a disappointing loan spell with Carlisle where he featured just twice in the league. Upon his return, Pearson said he has slipped down the order at City and there's a "possibility" he could go out again in January.
The manager said: "There are other youngsters at the club who have probably gone past him at the moment. So there's a possibility that Duncan could go out again.
"The only reason we brought him back is because opportunities at Carlisle were limited so it's the sensible thing to bring him back and we'll try and find a different solution for him."
With the likes of Rob Atkinson, Cam Pring, Tomas Kalas, George Tanner, Zak Vyner, Kal Naismith and Timm Klose all ahead in the pecking order, perhaps with youngsters such as Low and Raph Araoye also ahead in Pearson's plans, it's very unlikely Idehen will get an opportunity in the first-team this season.
Having only featured six times for Grimsby in his career and two substitute appearances for City last season, Idehen needs games in his career and therefore his next loan move will be an important one.
Sam Pearson
The young striker returned from a loan spell at Yeovil Town earlier this season after scoring two goals in 13 appearances for the National League side. He has come back with the Under-21s and forged a dangerous partnership alongside Sam Bell in the attack.
Pearson's had four loan spells during his time in the City academy including at Bath City, Weymouth, Inverness and Yeovil therefore the next step in his development would be to feature for a League Two side should the opportunity arise in January.
City are well stocked in attack and given Pearson has yet to make the bench, a loan switch could benefit both parties. It will also give the likes of Seb Palmer-Houlden an opportunity to become an integral figure in the youth side.
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