Bristol City v Coventry City confirmed line ups as Semenyo, Palmer and Massengo decisions made

Nigel Pearson has made three changes to his Bristol City side for tonight’s Championship clash with Coventry City at Ashton Gate.

The 59-year-old was forced into making a change into the midfielder because Alex Scott is suspended as a result of accumalating five yellow cards this season.

Scott’s replacement is Han-Noah Massengo, who is given a start for the first time in the league since the 2-0 win over Cardiff City in mid-August. Massengo will be partened by player-coach Andy King, who gets his first league start of the campaign. Joe Williams drops to the bench as Pearson carefully manages his load to avoid aggrevating a hamstring issue that has plagued him for a few months.

Up front, Antoine Semenyo is given his first start of the season with the manager deeming him ready to begin a match for the first time after slowly recovering from a shin injury he sustained on international duty. Semenyo replaces Tommy Conway, who came off for the Ghana international at half-time on Saturday in the 2-1 defeat to Queens Park Rangers.

There is no place in the match-day squad for summer signing Kane Wilson, but Under-21’s midfielder Dylan Kadji is available for selection. Sam Bell did travel on the team bus with the team but is not amongst the substitutes this evening.

City will line up in their usual back three of Zak Vyner, Kal Naismith and Robert Atkinson, whilst Mark Sykes and Jay Dasilva will act as wing-backs, providing cover for the defence and the attack. In the centre of the park is Massengo and King, whilst Andi Weimann will be at highest forward midfield, providng support for the attack. Semenyo and Nahki Wells will lead the attack with the latter hoping to continue his good goal-scoring form.

As for the opposition, Kasey Palmer is handed a start on his return to the West Country. He described it as the ‘biggest game of the season’ and will now have the opportunity to prove his former manager wrong for leaving him out of the side.

Mark Robins has named an unchanged team from the side that beat Middlesbrough 1-0 on Saturday. They will match up City in a 3-5-2 formation with Callum Doyle, Kyle McFadzean and Jonathan Panzo as their back line. Fabo and Jake Bidwell are their wing-backs whilst Jamie Allen, Palmer and Ben Sheaf are in the centre. Viktor Gyokeres and Matty Godden are their two strikers with the former hoping to add to his tally of three goals this year.

Bristol City (3-5-2): Daniel Bentley, Zak Vyner, Kal Naismith, Robert Atkinson; Mark Sykes, Andy King, Han-Noah Massengo, Andi Weimann, Jay Dasilva; Antoine Semenyo, Nahki Wells.

Coventry City (3-5-2): Ben Wilson, Callum Doyle, Kyle McFadzean, Jonathan Panzo; Fabo, Jamie Allen, Kasey Palmer, Ben Sheaf, Jake Bidwell; Viktor Gyokeres, Matty Godden.