Fresh off the departure of long-serving manager Nigel Pearson, Bristol City will welcome Sheffield Wednesday to Ashton Gate on Saturday.

Despite picking up their first league win of the season last weekend, the visitors remain at the foot of the Championship table, while their hosts now sit 15th following back-to-back defeats.

Match preview

Bristol City return to Ashton Gate on Saturday having undergone some change, as former manager Nigel Pearson departed the club on Sunday, ending a two-and-a-half year spell at the helm.

He had previously guided them to 17th and 14th-placed finishes in the previous two full campaigns, and it is 15th where he leaves the Robins, as they sit on 18 points from their opening 14 outings.

While they have certainly struggled in attack thus far, with just the bottom four managing fewer than their 15 league goals, they can certainly be pleased with their defensive efforts, having shipped 16 goals at the other end with only one side outside of the division's top three allowing fewer. 

Following a 1-0 victory at home to Coventry City on their return from the October international break, leaving them in the playoff mix with 18 points from 12 games, back-to-back losses heading into the weekend spelled the end of Pearson's tenure, as they firstly fell short at the hands of Ipswich Town before suffering a 2-0 Severnside Derby defeat to Cardiff City on Saturday with Perry Ng and Rubin Colwill netting the goals for their hosts.

Now under the temporary stewardship of Curtis Fleming, with just a two-point gap up to 10th spot and a five-point gap to the playoff places, Bristol City will be desperate to bounce back and return to winning ways on Saturday as the search for a new permanent manager continues.

They meet a Sheffield Wednesday side who travel south with a degree of renewed optimism following their triumph last weekend, having endured a dismal start to the season on their return to the second tier.

Under the new management of Xisco Munoz at the start of the campaign, the Owls managed just two points from their first 10 games to quickly become rooted to the spot, triggering the dismissal of Munoz.

Then following a draw with fellow strugglers Huddersfield Town, Danny Rohl stepped into the hot seat at Hillsborough during the recent international break, and while he was unable to inspire an instant turnaround, with his first two games ending in 1-0 and 3-0 defeats away at Watford and Plymouth Argyle respectively, he was able to oversee a first three-point haul of the campaign at the 14th time of asking last time out.

The Owls, already five points adrift of 23rd spot, hosted South Yorkshire rivals and fellow strugglers Rotherham United on Sunday, and they would end the winless streak and six-game goal drought with a crucial 2-0 triumph thanks to Michael Smith's first-half brace, moving within two points of Queens Park Rangers and three points of the Millers as a result.

Sheffield Wednesday do, however, remain eight points adrift of safety after 14 matches, and Rohl and his side will know that Sunday's result must be the start of a sustained improvement if they are to stay in the fight to avoid relegation back to England's third tier.

Team News

Bristol City will continue to deal with somewhat of an injury crisis at the weekend, particularly in defence, as Rob Atkinson, Zak Vyner, Haydon Roberts and George Tanner all remain confined to the treatment room alongside Ross McCrorie, Ayman Benarous, Joe Williams, Nakhi Wells and Andy King, while centre-back Kal Naismith is nearing a return to full fitness but is unlikely to make Saturday's game.

Given all of those absences, Fleming will likely have to field an unchanged makeshift back four consisting of left-back Cameron Pring alongside Rob Dickie in the centre and winger Mark Sykes and 17-year-old Joseph James filling in as full-backs.

The Robins do have more options further forward, though, with Tommy Conway vying to return to the attack after Harry Cornick led the line last time out, while Andreas Weimann and Sam Bell should keep their places on the wings with Jason Knight and Taylor Gardner-Hickman likely continuing to partner up in midfield in the absence of Williams, King and Matty James.

Danny Rohl switched his Sheffield Wednesday side's shape for their meeting with Rotherham, and we should see an unchanged starting XI in the 3-4-3 setup after their 2-0 victory, with Dominic Iorfa, Bambo Diaby and Di'Shon Bernard bound to all keep their places at the back in front of Cameron Dawson, who has got the nod over Devis Vasquez between the sticks since the German's appointment.

Further forward, with Momo Diaby remaining sidelined by a long-term injury, there is still competition to join key man and captain Barry Bannan in the engine room, but George Byers should again be preferred.

Michael Smith will continue to lead the line after his brace against his former club on Sunday, despite competition from the likes of Lee Gregory and Ashley Fletcher, while Anthony Musaba also impressed in their triumph with two assists and will support the lone striker, likely alongside Josh Windass.

Bristol City possible starting lineup:
O'Leary; James, Dickie, Pring, Sykes; Gardner-Hickman, Knight; Weimann, Mehmeti, Bell; Conway

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Dawson; Iorfa, Diaby, Bernard; Paterson, Bannan, Byers, James; Windass, Musaba; Smith

We say: Bristol City 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday should certainly have some renewed confidence after their crucial first win at the weekend, and they meet a Bristol City side suffering from a long injury list and following the departure of their long-serving manager.

While we back the Owls to compete at Ashton Gate, we do think the hosts still have the quality in their ranks to avoid defeat and opt for a share of the spoils.


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