Gerhard Struber has provided an update on Zak Vyner and George Tanner after both Bristol City defenders miss the Reds’ loss at CoventryBristol City defenders Zak Vyner and George Tanner missed the Robins’ defeat to Coventry City(Image: Getty Images)

Gerhard Struber hopes that Zak Vyner and George Tanner will be fit to feature against Middlesbrough, but the Bristol City boss admits the length of both players’ absences is not entirely in his hands after they missed the Robins’ defeat to Coventry City.

Neither Tanner nor Vyner were included in the Reds’ matchday squad at the CBS Arena as they were beaten 1-0 by the Sky Blues on Saturday afternoon. In a close contest, Ephron Mason-Clark’s second-half strike was enough to stretch City’s winless run to three matches.

Both Frank Lampard and Struber’s sides had come close to opening the scoring in the first half, as Haji Wright and Sinclair Armstrong struck the woodwork, but the deadlock wasn’t broken until the 63rd minute. After the Robins had failed to clear their lines following a Coventry corner, Mason-Clark was able to turn home what proved to be the winner from close range.

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Though the result was frustrating for supporters and Struber alike, it was compounded by the loss of Mark Sykes to a quad issue and the absence of Vyner and Tanner. The Reds confirmed ahead of kick-off that both players had been ruled out by short-term injuries, and after the full-time whistle, the City boss was able to provide a bit more detail.

“Yeah, I hope that,” the head coach replied when asked by Bristol Live if he hoped to have both available for the visit of Middlesbrough. “But we will see.

“Not everything in this direction is in my hands. Sometimes this needs time, but I hope that we have both players as soon as possible back around Christmas, and I would like [it to be] in front of Christmas.”

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Between now and their Boxing Day clash with West Brom at The Hawthorns, the Robins are only in action once: when they welcome Middlesbrough to Ashton Gate on Saturday.

Kim Hellberg’s side have had an impressive start to the season and are the Championship’s form team at this moment in time. After 21 matches, Boro find themselves second in the second tier with 42 points to their name, a tally only bettered by top of the table Coventry.

Middlesbrough make the trip to BS3 on a run of four consecutive wins, with Hellberg stretching his 100 per cent win record to four games with a 3-1 victory against Queens Park Rangers last time out. Undoubtedly, having Vyner and Tanner fit and available for selection would massively boost City’s chances of getting back to winning ways before the festivities truly begin.

With fellow defenders Rob Atkinson and Luke McNally also currently ruled out, Rob Dickie was partnered in the Reds’ back three by Cam Pring and Neto Borges at the CBS Arena.

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Both players performed well, but with Pring’s minutes currently being managed and Borges unlikely to be able to face his parent club, a week’s gap between matches has come at a good time for Struber and his players before they look to end their recent barren run against Boro this weekend.

“Of course it’s good for us,” Struber explained on Saturday afternoon. “We can train, and we can go in some details. We can make the players sharp for the next game.

“This is something that we need, and we need, of course, in the next game: not only a good performance, we should have also three points in our hand.

“I think we would deserve that.”

OPINION

OPINION