Injury and illness problems mount for Bristol City ahead of Pompey clash

Bristol City manager Dean Holden will be without a number of players for their FA Cup third round tie against Portsmouth on Sunday.

City had their game at Brentford last weekend postponed because of squad members showing coronavirus symptoms and testing being unavailable on New Year’s Day, but Kasey Palmer is the only player within the Robins camp to have subsequently tested positive.

Cameron Pring is cup-tied having featured for Portsmouth in a previous round while on loan, before being recalled by Holden following an injury to left-back Jay Dasilva. James Morton is also unavailable after playing for Grimsby in this season’s competition.

Defender Jack Hunt is not yet back in training after sustaining an injury against Luton last month, forward Jamie Paterson is due to have surgery on a groin problem and will be out for three to four weeks but Alfie Mawson is back in training, although Sunday’s game may come too soon for the centre-back.

A Covid-19 outbreak in the Portsmouth squad means Kenny Jackett’s side have not played since beating Hull on December 18.

Jordy Hiwula is available after the forward extended his Pompey contract until the end of the season.

Jackett will hope to have Lee Brown available after a hamstring injury, with Pring’s departure leaving him short of options at left-back.

James Bolton or Haji Mnoga could have to deputise in an unfamiliar position should Brown be unavailable.