Bristol Live brings you the latest team news from Bristol City’s season-opener against Sheffield United at Bramall LaneGerhard Struber was named Bristol City boss this summer(Image: Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)

Gerhard Struber has named his first competitive team as Bristol City boss for the Robins’ season-opening clash against Sheffield United, with summer signings Radek Vitek, Adam Randell, and Emil Riis all starting.

The Robins are looking to get off to the perfect start under the management of the Austrian in what is a repeat of last season’s play-off semi-final. Last term, the Reds missed out on a trip to Wembley as they suffered a record 6-0 aggregate defeat against Chris Wilder’s Blades.

While Struber and the Ashton Gate hierarchy have bolstered their ranks during the summer transfer window, their squad has been stretched, in some positions at least, by injuries over the off-season. Today’s game has come too soon for either Joe Williams or fellow midfielder Max Bird to feature, while longer-term absentees Cam Pring, Max O’Leary, and Luke McNally all also miss out.

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In what is expected to be the same 3-4-2-1 formation deployed in the final pre-season friendly against Real Valladolid, Vitek makes his competitive debut, and the Manchester United stopper will have a backline of George Tanner, Zak Vyner, and Rob Atkinson ahead of him.

Ahead of that defensive unit, City skipper Jason Knight will be partnered by summer addition Adam Randell, who made the move to BS3 from Plymouth Argyle shortly after Struber’s appointment was confirmed. That midfield pairing will be flanked on either wing by Ross McCrorie and Yu Hirakawa, with the Scotsman expected to start on the right and the Japanese international on the left.

Just behind a sole striker, both Anis Mehmeti and Scott Twine will start in two more attacking midfield positions. The pair linked up well throughout pre-season and will likely be given license to stay reasonably far forward.

Finally, it is Riis who leads the line. The Dane joined City upon the expiry of his contract this summer and has scored three goals over the course of pre-season. The fans in the Bramall Lane away end will be hoping that is a sign of things to come.

Bristol City: Radek Vitek, Rob Atkinson, Zak Vyner, George Tanner, Yu Hirakawa, Adam Randell, Jason Knight, Ross McCrorie, Anis Mehmeti, Scott Twine, Emil Riis

Substitutes: Joe Lumley, Jamie Knight-Lebel, Haydon Roberts, Adam Murphy, Sam Bell, Sinclair Armstrong, Mark Sykes, Harry Cornick, Ephraim Yeboah

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