Is Bristol City v Fulham on or off? Can I watch it on TV? Injury & team news

Bristol City are in FA Cup action as they welcome Fulham to Ashton Gate tomorrow for a third-round tie.

There isn’t as much cup fever in the air after an all Championship affair was drawn with fans hoping for a Premier League team or at

least a trip to a smaller team.

The two sides will also go head-to-head next week at Craven Cottage in the league next week so anticipation for this match is hard to come by.

This is still the FA Cup however and City fans may favour a Cup run as the team goes through a season of transition.

What’s the latest team news for City?

As is the nature of City’s small squad, don’t expect many changes to be made. There could be opportunities for the likes of Nahki Wells to play after biding his time on the substitutes bench.

Ryley Towler, who endured a difficult return and was pulled off at half-time in the 3-2 win over Millwall could play in a game to improve his confidence.

One guaranteed absentee is George Tanner who has aggravated a hamstring injury in which he picked up earlier in the season. He doesn’t require surgery but will face a spell on the sidelines once more.

There will be some interest in whether Kasey Palmer will play a part in this match, given how he has been frozen out of the first-team picture.

A host of Championship clubs are interested in him and a match like this gives him an opportunity to either force his way into plans or impress potential suitors.

Andy King has served his suspension after being red carded against Queens Park Rangers and should slot back into the midfield to give Matty James a break.

What’s the latest team news for Fulham?

In Fulham’s ranks are Robins’ academy graduates Bobby Decordova-Reid and Joe Byran who could make a return to a ground they once called home. Decordova-Reid joined the Cottagers from Cardiff City after joining the Welsh club when they were promoted. Bryan meanwhile made the direct move from B3 to West London.

Given the lack of game time for Fulham, Marco Silva may feel inclined to name a strong team to improve their match fitness. Forward Rodrigo Muniz could be fancied over Mitrovic.

Is the game on? Could it be postponed?

Some clubs have been able to get games off if they are unable to field a squad of 14 with a recognised goalkeeper, but this does not apply to the FA Cup. Clubs will be expected to field a team even if it is made up of youth players, as was seen last season when Aston Villa played their Under-18’s against Liverpool last season.

Rules are slightly different in the FA Cup with games now decided on the day of the game rather than a replay so at least the fixture list won’t stack up.

No COVID outbreak has been reported by Bristol City and they have a 95% vaccination rate amongst staff and players.

Head-to-head

The Cottagers enter this match on a five game winless streak so City are playing them at the right time. Fulham haven’t won since November which was initially a seven-game streak. Four draws and a defeat have followed but they have played just one match since December 11 after a raft of postponements.

The shares were spoiled in the league meeting between the two at Ashton Gate in September. Aleksandr Mitrovic put Fulham ahead but his strike was cancelled out by Kasey Palmer.

Is the match on TV?

Despite the game being moved to an earlier kick-off time of 12.30 GMT, the game is not available for domestic viewers. It has instead been moved for ‘international television markets’ and will be available for those outside of the United Kingdom.

How can I watch highlights?

Tune in at BBC One at 22:30 GMT to watch the BBC’s Match of Day FA Cup special which will have all the goals and highlights from the ties played on Friday and Saturday.

BristolWorld will be in attendance at the match, bringing you a Twitter Space before the match, as well as post-match analysis.