Liam Manning has confirmed Ross McCrorie will miss Bristol City’s clash with Middlesborough, with the Scotsman set to miss up to six weeks of action with a hamstring injury. However, Cam Pring is in contention to return to the fold for the first time since New Year’s Day.
The Robins welcome Michael Carrick’s side to Ashton Gate on Friday evening as they look to get back to winning ways in the Championship following their 1-1 draw with Severnside rivals Cardiff City last weekend.
Boro currently sit 11th in the Championship, two points adrift of the Reds and four points away from sixth-placed West Brom having been beaten by Watford last time out. However, Carrick’s side do have a game in hand on the teams in and around them in the race for the play-off places.
McCrorie started in Saturday’s draw with the Bluebirds in South Wales, only a matter of days after the Robins’ clash with Stoke City, and was forced off early in the second half with a hamstring issue. Although after the game, the versatile defender had told Manning it didn’t feel as bad as his last hamstring injury, he is set for another spell on the treatment table.
“He’s going to be a few weeks,” the head coach said in his pre-match press conference. “It’s a hamstring injury so probably the best part of six weeks.
“It’s always that challenge when you know the schedule is what it is, whether you put him out. We obviously did a similar thing where we managed him and left him out against Blackburn off the back of that heavy week. Obviously missed the one before with suspension against Swansea, we then play him midweek against Stoke. For me, the turnaround was so quick that naturally with someone like him, it then ends up being in a risk but ultimately we have to put a team out to try and win a game. Unfortunately for him, he’s going to be out for a little bit of time which is a shame because he’d got himself into a really good spot.”
While McCrorie’s absence could leave City’s already stretched backline short of options heading into Friday night’s game and beyond, the Reds may well be boosted by the return of Pring.
The left-back hasn’t played for Manning’s side since their New Year’s Day draw with Plymouth Argyle. Pring was withdrawn in the closing minutes of the first half having suffered a hamstring injury and in his absence, a combination of McCrorie and Haydon Roberts have filled in on the left of defence.
Whether or not the 27-year-old will be ready to start against Carrick’s side is not yet clear but the Robins’ head coach admits the academy graduate has been involved in training so far this week.
“He’s in contention to be fair,” Manning explained. “He’s done a few sessions this week so he’s definitely getting closer. We’ve got a bit more work to do and we’ll see where he’s at but he’s definitely one that might come into contention for Friday.
“We obviously go Friday, it’s not been too bad a week to rest and get hold of a few bits of pieces and recover a little bit. Then we have another slower week, so we’ve got the opportunity where time is on our side a little bit where time is on our side a bit before we go into another crazy period. It’s one of those where we can get the work into some of the players that are returning.”
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With Luke McNally’s season already over after the defender suffered an ACL injury against Swansea and McCrorie sidelined, City’s options at the heart of defence have been greatly reduced. Alongside natural centre-backs Rob Dickie and Zak Vyner, the alternative senior defenders who are capable of playing centrally and are available to Manning are now just George Tanner, Haydon Roberts and Pring.
On top of that, young defender Josh Campbell-Slowey has been mooted as another option. The teenager has been in and around the first team so far this season and while he has been sidelined by injury in recent weeks, he is closing in on a return to training.
“I expect him back with the group next week, to be honest,” the head coach said. “You have to see how he responds to the injury. There’s a short period left in terms of the volume of games. He’s back training next week, we’ll see how he comes back. We’ll use the opportunity to give him some minutes in the Under-21s as well to build that up as well.
“Whether it’s a forced opportunity, whether it be his level’s outstanding in training or whatever it is, it’s making sure he’s ready and what I know from seeing the work every day is that the coaching staff will be doing everything they can to make sure he continues to improve.”