'We need him' - Gerhard Struber shares update on Bristol City player after Portsmouth omission

Bristol City won 1-0 away at Portsmouth on Saturday afternoon. Playmaker Anis Mehmeti got their goal against Pompey at Fratton Park, with Neto Borges assisting him. The Robins bounced back from their defeat against Wrexham last Wednesday in style down in Hamshire.

Gerhard Struber’s side are sat in 6th place in the Championship table after 18 fixtures. They are inside the play-offs along with Millwall, Stoke City and Preston North End. Next up is a home clash against Millwall next weekend as they look to build some momentum.

Bristol City boss Gerhard Struber shares update on Jason Knight

Bristol City boss Struber has said Jason Knight was left out against Portsmouth to manage his workload. The midfielder has recently been out injured. The Robins are now carefully easing him back into the team as he looks to build up his fitness.

Struber has shared this update regarding his captain’s situation, as per a report by BristolLive: "I think this is, at the moment, the topic with our capitano. He is on the way back, but we need him on the way back with a load that helps him in the end [to] be stable on the field and not that we have, in the end, setbacks like with other players."

He added: "This is not such a week of recovery. It's a week where we come and find also, in our world of football, good training days and good training sessions. We will train and prepare; the next game is coming on Saturday, and this is Millwall. They are also really, really good at the moment."

What now for Jason Knight and Bristol City?

Bristol City aren’t taking any risks with Knight at the moment. That is sensible as they won’t want him to get injured again anytime soon. They have other options to pick from in his position including Adam Randell, who joined in the summer from Plymouth Argyle and has since made a positive impression.

Knight, 24, was linked with Ipswich Town and Norwich City in the last transfer window. However, nothing materialised in the end and he stayed put at Ashton Gate beyond the deadline which was a big boost. He has been on the books of his current club since 2023 and has since become one of their most prized assets.

The Republic of Ireland international, who has 41 caps to his name, moved over to England in 2017 as a youngster from Cabinteely. He was snapped up by Derby County and went on to become a key player for the Rams. The Dublin-born man played 166 matches during his time at Pride Park and scored 14 goals.

Bristol City then came calling and he has since made 111 outings for them to date. Struber was appointed as their manager in the summer after Liam Manning’s exit to Norwich and the Austrian has done well at the helm so far. Prior to his move, he had spells with the likes of Barnsley, New York Red Bulls and FC Koln.