Bristol City suffer injury knocks but are boosted by Alex Scott’s return and developing striker

The positives and negatives for the Robins after plenty of minutes for the players on Tuesday afternoon at the HPC, and with just one pre-season game to go.
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So it’s just down to one game left, as Bristol City face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday before facing Hull City in their Championship opener a week later.

Manager Nigel Pearson, constantly patrolling the touchlines and offering advice to any player coming near him on Tuesday afternoon up at the HPC, should be happy with his team’s outings this week.

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It’s five games unbeaten in pre-season now, and okay that’s against lower league opposition, but there have been good signs for his West Country outfit: all the new signings have impressed, clean sheets have become a welcome habit, and his team look to have now found their attacking groove too.

Chuck in some good progress from the developing Tommy Conway and Sam Bell, and things look rosy ahead of the new campaign.

Conway in particular has shone in pre-season, and while the club has been considering a loan for the 19-year-old it may even be that the academy product has pushed himself into the slot of third-choice striker, with Antoine Semenyo sidelined.

Han-Noah Massengo walks off after withdrawing against Exeter City Han-Noah Massengo walks off after withdrawing against Exeter City
Han-Noah Massengo walks off after withdrawing against Exeter City

Nahki Wells will have something to say, though Bell looks a little short of his partner’s in-game confidence, unable to find the right final ball in matches so far this month.

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Bristol City also have young striker Seb Palmer-Houlden impressing beyond that after an outstanding 2021/22 youth season with more than 20 goals netted, and another at Chippenham Town on Tuesday night for the U23s in their latest fixture, a 0-3 win (following a 10-0 demolition of Birmingham in a friendly the week before).

Alex Scott boosts the Robins

While Bristol City look promising in attack, with all of their three frontline players - Chris Martin, Mark Sykes and Andi Weimann - grabbing a goal and an assist each against Forest Green Rovers last time out, there was more to warm the hearts of Bristolians, if anything was needed given the sweltering conditions currently.

Alex Scott joined in pre-season after his England U19s trophy-winning adventures and the 18-year-old showed a real moment of class against Exter City to underline his ability: a lovely surge past three defenders that almost ended in a solo wonder-goal, after he replaced young full-back James Taylor for the second half against the Grecians.

There is surely more to come from the former Guernsey Fc midfielder, who played on both flanks during his 45 minutes, although where he might play this season, with Kane Wilson and George Tanner doing well at wing-back and the WSM attack - Sykes or Semenyo? - doing the business, may be a tough call.

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Central midfield anyone? There may be a fresh opening there.

Knocks picked up

Scott’s involvement was very welcome but tempered as Bristol City lost two players during the game against Exeter City.

Duncan Idehen left before 20 minutes before Han-Noah Massengo was unable to continue, replaced by Omar Taylor-Clarke, who did very well in the middle for Bristol City in the second game, a 2-2 draw.

Idehen was explained as becoming ill during the match and Massengo trudged off but was declared as having a dead leg. Hopefully it is nothing worse, though if it is, at least Scott offers another option to fill in centrally.

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Meanwhile, Kal Naismith has looked very good in his games so far and the Scotsman marshalled the defence well against the Green, Zak Vyner had a good game against FGR too and Tomas Kalas announced on Robins TV that he is not so far from a return to action too (after injury problems across the summer).

“I’ve been training inside today because I’m recovering from the injury,” he explained on the club’s in-house channel ahead of the FGR game.

Feeling optimistic yet? And so on to the south coast on Saturday for the last rehearsal, before we see how things fare for real.

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