Nathan Baker: Bristol City defender could miss rest of season after second concussion

Nathan Baker had been a staple of Bristol City's defence before his concussion injuries

Bristol City are prepared for defender Nathan Baker to be out for the rest of the season with concussion, manager Nigel Pearson says.

Baker, 30, was stretchered off with a head injury during the Robins' defeat by Sheffield United on 30 November.

The centre-back had already returned from a previous concussion in October.

"We have to be prepared for the fact that we might not see him again this season," Pearson told BBC Radio Bristol.

"I think because of the two concussions he's had in a short period of time for us, the nature of them and how he plays, it's very, very difficult to put the timeframe on that.

"One of the hard things to try to explain to people is just how important it is that actually his welfare has to come first. That's a very difficult thing just from a purely football front.

"I like him a lot as a player, he's incredibly brave as a player and hence why he is probably exposed to getting these types of concussions.

"If we see him again this season I'll be delighted, but I might be a little bit surprised as well."

Another long-term Bristol City absentee is midfielder Joe Williams, who has not played since the win over Stoke in November after suffering a hamstring injury.

The 25-year-old signed for the club in 2020 and played just once in the league last season due to injury. He has made seven appearances this season and has been back in full training for a few weeks.

Pearson confirmed Williams could be in contention for Saturday's match at home to Cardiff City.

Williams has seen limited match time for Bristol City since signing in 2020 due to injury

"Joe has had, unfortunately, 20 months of injury issues which are proving very difficult to find, if you like, the final solution," Pearson said.

"We've just got to make sure when he comes back this time, the scope for another problem is minimal."

Prudent investments only

Bristol City have endured an inconsistent season so far in the Championship and most recently suffered a 6-2 defeat away to Fulham to leave them 16th in the table.

The Robins have yet to secure back-to-back wins this season.

At the end of last year, the club reported a loss of £38.4m for the 2020-21 financial year, a total that was up significantly on the £10.1m loss the previous year.

Pearson refused to rule out any players coming in or leaving this January transfer window, but said they would only allow players to leave if it enabled them to bring in someone they wanted - due to the club's financial situation.

"The decisions we make now can't be ones which are hit and miss. We've got to try and get things right because our squad has been too big, the wage bill has been too big," Pearson said.

"We've got to be very mindful of what our cashflow situation is basically on a month-to-month basis. We are operating in a situation where we've got to be very, very prudent with how we invest our money. It's not the first option.

"[But] Just because we're not active in the public domain that people know about doesn't mean there's not been activity and not been attempts to do some business."