Josh Stokes is yet to make a league appearance for Bristol City, having joined the Robins from Aldershot Town nearly two years agoBristol City’s Josh Stokes signed a new contract at Ashton Gate this summer(Image: Bristol City)

Bristol City are “in exchange” with one or another club over Josh Stokes, according to Gerhard Struber, with the Reds boss admitting it would be “perfect” for the midfielder to find more regular game time whilst discussing the futures of the youngsters in his squad.

Stokes, who joined City from Aldershot Town in January 2024, is yet to make a Championship appearance for the Robins, having spent last season on loan in League One with Cambridge United. While he remained at Ashton Gate this summer, a fractured metatarsal has seen him miss the bulk of the campaign so far.

As a result, he 21-year-old’s only competitive minutes under Struber have come in the Carabao Cup. While he has been named on the bench for each of the Reds’ last four league games, he seemingly falls behind Scott Twine, Anis Mehmeti, and Yu Hirakawa in the attacking midfield pecking order.

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Prior to his aforementioned metatarsal issue, Struber had not completely closed the door on the prospect of Stokes departing BS3 on loan again during the summer window. Ultimately, no such move came to fruition, but with his action limited in south Bristol, such a change could occur over the course of the coming month.

“We will see,” the head coach said on the possibility of departures in January. “When some players would come inside and be not happy with game time or something, my door in this direction is open, but we don’t plan so big in this way.

“We have a small roster, and especially the last few months show us that we need every single player here, but when somebody would be not happy with their game time, I would be always open to speak about it.

“Especially the younger ones, I think they need game time, and I would be open when they have a good, new platform maybe to play football every week, then I would be, of course, for them, really open to bring young players some game time.”

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When asked what the new year would hold for Stokes, Struber added. “He needs game time, and we are in exchange here with the one or other club.

“I would say for him, it would be perfect when he would find something that he comes in game time and has the next step in his personal career. I think this is important.”

Stokes isn’t the only young prospect on the fringes of the Robins’ first team at this moment in time. Alongside the 21-year-old, Elijah Morrison, Ephraim Yeboah, Olly Thomas, Leo Pecover, and Jed Meerholz have all featured in matchday squads this term, without ever establishing themselves as regular fixtures.

Fortunately, the appointment of Dennis Baraznowski as senior PDP coach has ensured that the above youngsters, as well as the rest of the Reds’ Under-21s squad, are playing in a system very similar to Struber’s when they feature at youth level.

While such an experience can be beneficial to some players, the Robins boss is of the opinion that some of the prospects on City’s books, including Morrison, would learn more and progress quicker if they were to experience first-team football away from Ashton Gate.

Elijah Morrison scored for Bristol City in their pre-season win over Newport County(Image: Rogan/ Bristol City)

“We have many more players [where] I would say the Under-21s is a little bit too less for them and the Championship – especially with our standard at the moment – is maybe a little bit too much,” he told Bristol Live. “What they need is game time, and we look for more players right now, how we could bring players more in game time on a different level, like the Under-21s, to help them to grow on a better tempo.

“Also, Elijah is one of these players where I have the feeling [that] a loan situation could help him, but this must be in the end, the right club, with the right coach and the right environment to help him develop.”

Two players who did make such a switch in search of consistent first-team football during the summer transfer window were Jamie Knight-Lebel and Adam Murphy. Both youngsters departed BS3 on deadline day, completing temporary moves to Swindon Town for the season.

So far, Knight-Lebel has been the more successful of the pair, playing 20 games – and scoring once – for Ian Holloway’s side in all competitions. Murphy, on the other hand has been limited to a single League Two start, with both competition for places and injury restricting his involvement at the County Ground.

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When the duo’s switch was announced, the Robins confirmed that they held the option to recall both players in January. With the new year now just around the corner, no final decision has yet been made on Knight-Lebel’s immediate future, but the plan for Murphy is clearer.

“I think for him, it’s important to play,” Struber explained. “I think he showed us in the last few weeks how important this loan deal was for himself, with the game time. He’s grown in a really good way.

“We will see what the next few weeks bring, I [wouldn’t] cut this out to maybe bring him back in the January – we will see how everything is going – but he’s a really interesting player and with game time, he can be very interesting for us in the next time.”

On Murphy’s spell at the County Ground, he added, “With him, we want to show that we extend the loan and give him the chance for more game time. I think here, right now, it’s difficult.”

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