Nigel Pearson gives mixed Bristol City injury update with one setback

Nigel Pearson has revealed that Bristol City defender Tomas Kalas has suffered another injury setback and that Joe Williams will be in contention to play against Rotherham United this weekend.

Kalas has been sidelined since City’s 2-0 defeat to Cardiff City in March with a knee problem and will face a race against time to feature again for the Robins this season.

Injuries have been the story of the defender’s campaign and the 29-year-old has played just eight times since the start of the season.

Pearson spoke on Kalas’ recent setback and admitted that he sympathises with the Czech Republic international. “He keeps having little setbacks that are not anything major, but I think for him it just remains a real frustration and I feel for him in that regard,” he said.

“I’m still hopeful that we’ll see him again this season, of course, I am. But with only three games left, you sort of run out of time, don’t you.”

The Robins will take on the Millers at Ashton Gate on Saturday, before another home match against already-promoted Burnley and a trip to QPR rounds off their season.

Pearson continued: “He’ll be back with us again next week and we will see how things develop. Rather than adding even more pressure to him, I think it’s fair to say that if it’s in his and our best interest, he will either play or he won't play. But, it’s certainly been really frustrating for Tom in a season with lots of incidents and setbacks that he could do without.”

Though the West Country side will have to make do without Kalas, one man who could feature at the weekend is Williams. The scouser limped off with a hamstring injury in the same Cardiff defeat that Kalas suffered his setback, and it was expected that Williams would miss the rest of the season.

But, his recovery has gone better than expected, and Pearson confirmed that he is back fit and ready for action. “We’ve got Joe Williams back in the squad too, we want to try and get as many players as fit and available for the run-in so we can try and finish as high as we can,” he said.

Williams’ return will be a welcome one for the Robins, who have been short on numbers in the middle of the park of late. Pearson’s side will be hopeful that they can finish the season on a high note with three to play, they currently sit in 14th place in the second tier, on 53 points.