Bristol City

Image source, Rex Features

Bristol City head coach Liam Manning says his squad will be "a little bit stretched" for Saturday's trip to Norwich City due to a flurry of injuries, particularly to his defensive line.

Versatile midfielder Mark Sykes had to be substituted with a hamstring problem just six minutes into the Robins' 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United on Tuesday and is now awaiting the results of his scans, as is defender Kal Naismith who was also withdrawn due to injury.

There is no update on right-back George Tanner and midfielder Joe Williams, who are both expected to be out for a "considerable amount of time", full-back Ross McCrorie injured his hamstring at the end of October, while centre-back Luke McNally has a concussion and is being assessed accordingly.

Defender Robert Dickie returned from a hamstring injury last weekend but was sent off in injury time for a foul on Blades midfielder Callum O’Hare and is suspended for the trip to Carrow Road.

Meanwhile, left-back Haydon Roberts is available for selection after returning from his injury by replacing Cameron Pring in the midweek, with the latter also fit again following a lower leg laceration that kept him on the side lines for six weeks.

"It's not something new and not specific to us," Manning told BBC Radio Bristol in regards to their injury-hit season so far. "I think it's something, across the game, that we have to really look into and analyse why.

"(We're) a little bit stretched this weekend but after that, I'm hoping to have a few more bodies back"

Bristol City head coach Liam Manning says his players need to learn from their late collapse against Sheffield United which ended their eight game unbeaten run.

The Robins conceded twice in the closing stages as they they were beaten 2-1 at Ashton Gate.

"It feels like we lost it rather than they won it," Manning told BBC Radio Bristol.

"There were so many good aspects and you can't knock the lads work rate or desire to compete but it's how you manage those high pressure situations and we didn't do that."

City led through Anis Mehmeti's 75th minute penalty before going on to lose to Harrison's Burrows' goal in the eighth minute of injury time.

"You have to stay calm, stay composed and make clinical decisions to see out the game," said Manning.

"The lads are devastated and gutted but it's one game and we have to move on.

"We've shown we can compete with anybody yet again and that's what we have to take away from it and bounce back on Saturday."

Image source, BBC Sport

Bristol City are unbeaten in eight Championship games (W3 D5) heading into Tuesday night's clash with Sheffield United at Ashton Gate, where they are yet to lose a league game this season.

The Blades have recovered from two consecutive defeats to win two on the bounce and victory would take Chris Wilder's side above Leeds United into second before the Whites play on Wednesday.

• Bristol City lost 1-0 in both league meetings with Sheffield United the last time the two sides faced each other in 2022-23.

• Sheffield United have won four of their last six away league games against Bristol City (D1 L1).

• Bristol City are unbeaten in each of their last 11 home league games (W6 D5), though could draw four in a row at Ashton Gate in the league for the first time since April 2009.

• Sheffield United have won five of their last seven Championship games in midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), though the two games they failed to win were both 1-0 away defeats, including this season at Middlesbrough.

• Sheffield United’s Kieffer Moore has been involved in four goals in six Championship appearances against Bristol City (2 goals, 2 assists), including in both previous appearances at Ashton Gate (1 goal, 1 assist).

Image source, Getty Images

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