Bird injury 'not so good' - Bristol City boss Struber

Bristol City midfielder Max Bird has been ruled out of Saturday's visit to Preston North End (15:00 BST) with a calf injury that could see him miss an extended period of time.

Bird did not feature in the defeat to Oxford United last Sunday and while boss Gerhard Struber initially thought the injury seemed "not so bad", that positivity seems to have dampened.

Bird missed the opening game of the 2025-26 campaign because of a calf injury sustained in July.

"We have to wait for the specialist that looks a little bit deeper but it looks at the moment not so good that he'll be back soon," Struber told BBC Radio Bristol.

"I cannot say it's exactly the same as what he had in the pre-season but at the moment, the situation looks not great."

However, while defender Rob Atkinson has not trained after picking up a knee injury against Oxford, he could be fit for the trip to Deepdale.

Struber has confirmed there is no damage to the 27-year-old's ligaments however his participation will depend on how the injury affects his performance.

"If he can deal with the pain in a way that he can play, then it looks good for the weekend," the Austrian said.

Listen to the full interview with Struber and more Bristol City content on BBC Sounds.