Bristol City defender at a crossroads as recent snub raises question mark on future

Zak Vyner has played 19 times in the red of Bristol City this season, but after a recent spell out of the team, there may be question marks on his long-term future.

Last year, Vyner featured 43 times for the Robins, becoming a prominent figure under Dean Holden, whilst Nigel Pearson also continued with him.

This season though, has been different, as he won’t get near that amount of games with seven remaining for Pearson’s struggling side.

Vyner has not played since that 3-1 defeat to Swansea City, in which Nigel Pearson was seething at the manner of the defeat.

In what was a four minute post-match press conference in South Wales: Pearson said: “We might have to make changes.

“Maybe we’ve got players in our squad at the moment who basically between now and the end of the season will see if they are good enough to be here whether I’m the manager or anyone else.”

Changes did come but as has been the case with City’s squad this season, they’ve been minimal because of the lack of options in defence.

But since a reshuffle of the defence, Vyner has been lost in the mix, sitting on the substitutes bench five times, whilst he was absent against Birmingham and Blackburn.

The 24-year-old’s most natural position is deemed to be as a centre-back and that is where he has played 13 times this season.

So when changes were promised, he was one of the ones who came under the chopping block and was moved. A first left-field option from Pearson saw him play Joe Williams as a centre-back.

Then Robbie Cundy came back and for the past few games has started in the absence of Tomas Kalas, alongside the returning Rob Atkinson and the experienced head of Timm Klose.

So what about Vyner’s secondary position of right wing-back? Well even then, he’s not been considered. Pearson tried to convert forward Sam Bell into there, with the hopes of emulating his dad Mickey, but that was a test that saw him exposed.

Against promotion chasing Blackburn Rovers, Pearson yielded another surprise, playing top scorer Andreas Weimann in the role, which worked out as the Austrian scored the winner at Ewood Park.

Weimann reverted back into a more attacking position in midfield whilst Cameron Pring came back in, being preferred to Vyner, given his ability to go forward.

Under Pearson’s predecessor, Holden, Vyner was tried in defensive midfield and even got his first senior goal against Preston in January 2021 but that’s an area of the pitch that perhaps doesn’t need as much change.

So if he can’t get a look in at either position then what does the future hold for the academy product and is it at Ashton Gate?

Nigel Pearson has stated that this summer, a centre-back will be at the top of his list if the club are to manoeuvre in the transfer market.

That leaves Vyner and the club with a key decision to make this summer. Does he ride it out and wait for an opportunity or seek pastures new?

In that Swansea defeat, Pearson said: “Maybe we’ve got players in our squad at the moment that have got until now and the end of the season to prove whether they’re good enough to be here next year whether I’m the manager or anybody else.”

But so far, Vyner hasn’t been afforded the opportunity to prove he has a future at the club and there are still defensive frailties with the club still shipping goals.

The door isn’t completely shut on Vyner as he only has to look to Jay Dasilva, as a player who came from out of the cold and has now become one of the first names on the team sheet.

Time is of the essence though and if an opportunity doesn’t arise sooner then there will be talks to be had when the season ends on what the future looks like in B36.