Western Daily Press (Saturday)
City hoping Wells will be back to fitness soon
BRISTOL City are confident that Nahki Wells’ absence will not be an extended one after the striker sustained an ankle injury in last weekend’s 2-1 loss at Leeds.
There was concern when Wells left the field in the 30th minute after a challenge with Leeds captain Pascal Struijk in which the defender fell onto the City’s striker’s ankle. The Bermudian needed assistance from a physio both to leave the pitch and then make the walk around the Elland Road pitch before returning to the dressing room.
Boss Nigel Pearson admitted after the game that the mere fact Wells had to come off was reason for concern given the 33-year-old’s durability and insistence at often playing through pain.
After undergoing a scan earlier this week, Wells has been fitted with a protective boot for his rehab and will be subject to further assessment next week, but the hope is he will be out for weeks rather than anything more significant, depending how he responds to treatment.
It is reasonable to forecast that he will miss the remainder of the month, with games against Coventry, Ipswich and Cardiff to close out October when the Championship returns following the international break, and then possibly some fixtures in November.
Pearson would ideally like to have the veteran in his squad for those matches, with Wells having scored three goals in 13 matches across all competitions, but there is a degree of good timing about the situation given his absence coincides with Tommy Conway’s return to fitness.
The 21-year-old missed eight weeks with a hamstring injury but made three substitute appearances last week, scoring a match-winning brace at Rotherham, and could be in position to start at Coventry a week today. Pearson has Harry Cornick as a central striking option should Conway be deemed not quite ready.
Wells joins Zak Vyner (knee), Rob Atkinson (ACL), Ross McCrorie (surgery after a bacterial infection) and Ayman Benarous (undisclosed leg injury) on the treatment table, but there is hope that the first name on the list will be back next month.
Atkinson has been mooted to also resume training in November, but City will remain vigilant over the centre-back’s loading given the extra stress potentially placed on his knee.
Certainly if Vyner returns in good time, to provide Pearson with three centre-backs alongside Rob Dickie and Kal Naismith, it alleviates any need to push Atkinson back sooner than what is perhaps required after such a serious injury.
Bristol City’s Women’s Super League campaign gets no easier – with a trip to Manchester City on the way tomorrow. Lauren Smith’s side have lost both of their WSL matches so far this season.