Bristol City predicted team vs Norwich: Struber contends with injury list as Robins eye away win

Bristol Live’s predicted Bristol City team as Gerhard Struber’s Robins travel to Carrow Road to face Liam Manning and Norwich City

Dan Carter is the Bristol City reporter at Bristol Live. He joined the title in November 2024 having previously been a football reporter at Breaking Media. Before that, he was a sports journalism student at the University of Gloucestershire where he also covered the Robins whilst on placement. In his role, he wants to keep supporters informed with the latest news in and around Ashton Gate whether that be on matchdays, during transfer windows or everything in between.

Gerhard Struber and Bristol City are contending with a mounting injury list(Image: Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)

When the Championship fixtures were released in July, today’s trip to Carrow Road will have undoubtedly caught the eye of most Bristol City fans. With 250 miles between the Reds and Norwich City, this couldn’t be much less of a local rivalry, but recent matters have ensured there will be a bit of added spice.

For both clubs, the October international break came off the back of a difficult spell. Gerhard Struber’s side are without a win in four Championship matches, having let a lead slip to be beaten by Queens Park Rangers last time out, while the Canaries suffered their first East Anglian derby defeat to Ipswich Town in 16 years to extend their winless run to five games.

Norwich’s poor run, particularly at Carrow Road, has seen pressure start to mount on former Robins boss Liam Manning, who this summer traded the West Country for Norfolk after guiding City to their first play-off finish in almost two decades. At BS3, however, it feels like almost everyone remains behind Struber, with circumstances out of his control making his job more challenging in recent weeks.

The Robins’ injury list has been well documented. They head East today with just one fit, natural, senior midfielder, as all of Joe Williams, Max Bird, and Jason Knight continue to make their way back from injury. Long-term absentee Luke McNally is out of action until the new year at least, while both Josh Stokes and Cam Pring are weeks away from returning to the fold.

Naturally, that extensive group of absentees has left the City boss slightly short of options in several key positions. Still, he is eager to see his group impose their style on their travels, as they have done throughout his tenure so far.

With all of that build-up out of the way, here is how we think Struber will set up his side at Carrow Road this afternoon…

Goalkeeper and defence

One of the few positive pieces of injury news to come from Bristol City’s pre-Norwich City press conference surrounded the fitness of Max O’Leary. After spending almost the entirety of Gerhard Struber’s tenure, so far, sidelined with an ankle injury, the Ireland international is fit and able to feature for the Robins at Carrow Road this afternoon.

While we do expect the academy graduate to feature in the matchday squad, we are pretty confident in our prediction that he will have to settle for a place on the bench, with Radek Vitek set to retain his place. Struber himself admitted that, at this stage, it is clear who his number one is, with Vitek’s performances in the opening months of his spell in south Bristol ensuring it is his shirt to lose at this stage.

Ahead of the Manchester United loanee, our bet is that the Robins will stand by the back three he utilised in each of the Reds’ final two matches before the October international break; partly because of their performances in those games and partly because Zak Vyner’s services continue to be required in the middle of the park.

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Should that prediction be correct, Rob Dickie – fresh off signing his new two-year contract extension at Ashton Gate – will be flanked by George Tanner on his right and Rob Atkinson to his left. Atkinson is ready and rested after the international break, and in truth, picks himself on the left side of the backline when fit.

Dickie wasn’t at his best against QPR, but his performances against both Ipswich Town and Preston North End were excellent, particularly at Deepdale, where he didn’t give Militun Osmajic a sniff. With Josh Sargent more than likely leading the Canaries’ line, City will need their skipper to be at the races again today.

While some fans won’t be keen on the idea of Tanner keeping his place as the right-sided centre-back, it is clear that Struber views him as the understudy in such a position should Vyner be unavailable. As a result, we think he will keep his place with Haydon Roberts likely offering an alternative option from the bench.

Midfield

As we have done a couple of times in the last few weeks, we will keep our prediction for Bristol City’s central midfield pairing short and sweet, as, barring any surprise injuries, it feels like the combination of Zak Vyner and Adam Randell is nailed on to start at Carrow Road.

With speculation around the fitness of Randell shut down by Gerhard Struber in midweek, the 25-year-old is one of the first names on the Reds’ teamsheet currently. Since arriving from Plymouth Argyle this summer, he has gone from strength to strength in City colours, and with Jason Knight unavailable, his presence is only more important in the middle of the park.

In an ideal world, Vyner would be back in the back three rather than this more advanced position, but this is very much a case of needs must. The 28-year-old impressed in central midfield prior to the international break, and with so few alternatives on offer, it would come as a surprise if he didn’t keep his place.

Zak Vyner has been a regular starter for Bristol City under Gerhard Struber(Image: EFL)

Should the paperwork for his recall from Aldershot Town have been completed on time, it may well be down to Jed Meerholz to offer an alternative option from the bench. The versatile youngster, who is capable of playing both in the backline and the middle of the park, has impressed for the Shots so far this term, but was confirmed to have returned to BS3 on Friday afternoon.

At wing-back, Struber has a bit more of a decision to make with all of Neto Borges, Mark Sykes, Yu Hirakawa, and Ross McCrorie in contention to start. You could make a case for any combination of the four names above to start – and we could even start a debate about which flank they should feature from – however, we think two players stand out in particular.

Our bet is that Borges, who impressed in the final two games before October’s international fixtures, and McCrorie, who has enjoyed a well-earned rest over the past fortnight, will get the nod. We expect the Brazilian to be on the left and the Scotsman on the right, but we would not be surprised to see both Sykes and Hirakawa introduced from the bench at some point midway through the second half.

Attack and striker

Had we put this predicted team together in the hours following Bristol City’s defeat to Queens Park Rangers, we – like many fans, I would imagine – would have been keen to see plenty of changes all over the pitch after one of the Robins’ most frustrating displays of the season.

Having had two weeks to gather our thoughts, however, we are very much of the opinion that this team isn’t a million miles away from the side that went five league games unbeaten at the start of the season. It is just a case of tidying things up at either end of the field, rather than throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

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That is a feeling echoed by Gerhard Struber and, as a result, we expect the City head coach to stand by the front three that fired the Reds through that five-match unbeaten run: Anis Mehmeti and Scott Twine, just behind sole striker Emil Riis.

Despite the Robins’ recent struggles, Mehmeti has remained one of Struber’s most dangerous players and, had he shown a more clinical edge against Preston North End, would be out ahead in the club’s goalscoring charts after nine matches. Yes, he needs to make more of his opportunities in front of goal, but he is consistently getting into those positions.

Twine was notably quieter in the Reds’ last block of matches than he had been prior to the September international break, but he is still a player who makes things happen. Whether it be with a set-piece or clever pass, he can turn a game on its head in an instant. Throw in the fact that the alternative is a relatively unproven Leo Pecover, and it feels incredibly likely that the 25-year-old will keep his place.

In terms of Riis, it is fair to say that as long as the Dane is fit this term, he will likely lead the line, until further striking reinforcements are signed at least. The 27-year-old is well ahead of both Sinclair Armstrong and Fally Mayulu in the pecking order and, having scored last time out, will hopefully be hungry for more.

As usual, it will be down to Mayulu, Armstrong, and Harry Cornick to offer an alternative option should Riis tire in the second half.

Bristol City predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Radek Vitek; George Tanner, Rob Dickie, Rob Atkinson; Ross McCrorie, Zak Vyner, Adam Randell, Neto Borges; Scott Twine, Anis Mehmeti; Emil Riis

Bristol City predicted team vs Norwich: Struber contends with injury list as Robins eye away win

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