Bristol City release new squad numbers for 2022/23 campaign - but two players aren’t given shirt

Bristol City players will wear their the 2022/23 kit for the first time in their behind-closed-doors friendly against Cheltenham Town at the High Performance Centre this afternoon.

Alex Scott, Antoine Semenyo, Han-Noah Massengo have both changed their numbers for the forthcoming campaign which could be more befitting to their roles on the pitch, though both are versatile.

Scott for the remainder of the 2020/21 season and the whole of the 2021/22 edition wore the 36 shirt which is in his Twitter handle. The 18-year-old will now take up the number seven shirt which has been worn by the likes of legends like Trevor Tainton and Scott Murray, as well as Korey Smith, Liam Kelly and Sam Baldock in recent years.

It had been vacant for the whole of last year having previously been worn by Chris Martin, who changed from the seven shirt to number nine.

Semenyo has gone from wearing the number 18 shirt to wearing the 11, which is more befitting of a player that often finds himself out on the flank. Academy graduate Ayman Benarous will take up Semenyo’s former number.

The Ghana international has had that number for the past two seasons but following the departure of Callum O’Dowda, who has joined Cardiff City, he has opted for a change.

New recruits Kane Wilson, Kal aismith, Mark Sykes and recent arrival Stefan Bajic will take up the 2, 4, 17 and 31, shirts, whilst Timm Klose holds onto the number 25 which he was assigned when he joined in January.

Midfielder Han-Noah Massengo has moved on from the 42 shirt that he’s worn since his arrival in the 2019/20 season and is now the wearer of the number 30 which has been vacant since the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

Sam Bell has taken up Joe Williams' former shir number of 2020 having decided to swap fro 33, whilst Ryley Towler has dropped 11 places from the 34 shirt to the 23 and Dylan Kadji has the 27 shirt.

Other changes include Tommy Conway who has dropped the 37 to take up the 15 shirt, which was held by Tyreeq Bakinson last season before joining Ipswich Town.

Bakinson, who is expected to leave this summer, having been made to train with the Under-23’s has not been given a number. He was on loan from January onwards but has not taken up training upon his return to the HPC. Bakinson did not feature in the opening friendly against Paulton Rovers.

Nathan Baker, who Nigel Pearson does not expect to feature this year, has also not been included in the 21/22 shirt reveals. Baker has not played since November having sustained a head injury against Sheffield United.

Will Buse, who signed a one-year contract extension this summer, has also not been given a number, though he mainly turns out for the Development team and spent most of last year with Taunton Town, with a loan move likely again if he is not in the first-team picture.

Bristol City 2022/23 squad numbers in full:

1. Daniel Bentley

2. Kane Wilson

3. Jay Dasilva

4. Kal Naismith

5. Rob Atkinson

6. Matty James

7. Alex Scott

8. Joe Williams

9. Chris Martin

10. Andy King

11. Antoine Semenyo

12. Max O’Leary

13. Harvey Wiles-Richards

14. Andi Weimann

15. Tommy Conway

16. Cameron Pring

17. Mark Sykes

18. Ayman Benarous

19. George Tanner

20. Sam Bell

21. Nahki Wells

22. Tomas Kalas

23. Ryley Towler

24. Duncan Idehen

25. Timm Klose

26. Zak Vyner

27. Dylan Kadji

28. Sam Pearson

29. Josh Owers

30. Han-Noah Massengo

31. Stefan Bajic