Bristol City boss Gerhard Struber has provided positive updates on Radek Vitek, Mark Sykes, Joe Williams and Max Bird ahead of the Reds’ FA cup campaignBristol City are currently without each of Radek Vitek, Mark Sykes, Joe Williams and Max Bird(Image: Getty Images and EFL)

Bristol City could be boosted by the return of Radek Vitek after their FA Cup clash with Watford, Gerhard Struber has confirmed, with the Reds boss providing the latest on the fitness of the goalkeeper, Mark Sykes, Joe Williams, Max Bird, and Luke McNally.

The Robins kick off their second cup campaign of the season against Javi Gracia’s Hornets at Ashton Gate on Saturday afternoon. Watford travel to the West Country on a run of four straight wins, a spell which has seen them climb up to sixth in the Championship.

Despite seeing their game against Hull City called off a matter of minutes ahead of kick-off on Sunday, Gracia’s side were able to remain above City in the table and in the play-off places as Struber’s boys were beaten 2-0 by Preston North End in BS3.

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Max O’Leary made his fifth appearance of the season in the defeat to the Lilywhites, having reclaimed his place between the posts in the absence of Vitek, who has been ruled out since mid-December with a knee injury.

Although Saturday’s third round tie is likely to come too soon for the Manchester United loanee to return to the fold, next weekend’s trip to the Kassam Stadium may be timed perfectly.

“It looks really good that he jumps back in the Oxford game, right now,” Struber told Bristol Live when asked about the stopper’s fitness. “We are happy, so Radek is super quick on the way.

“Also, the medical team did a great job in this way.”

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Vitek’s knee injury was sustained in the wake of the Robins’ defeat to Coventry City last month. December’s trip to the CBS Arena was frustrating for Struber’s side, not just because their performance warranted a better result than they secured, but because they also saw Sykes’ name added to their injury list.

The Ireland international was withdrawn at half-time against Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues, having felt his quad, an issue which was expected to rule him out until mid-January.

As is the case with Vitek, Sykes is not expected to be ready to feature against the Hornets, but he has a chance of facing his former club, Oxford.

“It’s too close,” Struber replied when asked if the versatile winger would be in contention on Saturday afternoon. “Maybe he will jump in the Oxford week inside, but it’s not clear.

Bristol City’s Mark Sykes challenges Coventry City’s Ephron Mason-Clark (Image: PA)

“We miss him, we miss him much. He’s a really good player for us, and I hope he jumps back really soon.”

Having seen as many as 10 first-team players sidelined by injury when they drew with Watford in the Championship back in November, just before the international break, it feels as though the Robins are slowly starting to see their absentee list reduced with each passing week.

The majority of the issues Struber and his coaching staff have had to contend with have been short-term problems, like those impacting Sykes and Vitek. However, there have also been a handful of players suffering from longer-term injuries, namely midfielders Williams and Bird.

Williams is yet to make an appearance, competitive or otherwise, under Struber after suffering a hamstring injury during his recovery from ankle surgery conducted after last season’s play-off campaign. Bird was able to play four times for City in the Championship this term after returning from a calf injury, but the last of those outings came in September, before he was struck down by a similar issue.

Bristol City midfielder Max Bird stands over a free-kick(Image: Bristol City/ Rogan)

Although Struber, sensibly, has been reluctant to put an exact timeframe on either player’s recovery, he delivered perhaps his most optimistic update – particularly when it came to Williams – on the pair’s condition on Wednesday afternoon.

“Joey Williams was outside today, the first training,” the head coach smiled. “He looks really good, so he’s back on the field, so I will promise not too much, but that’s the first time that I’ve seen him in a team training.

“I love players that have, in the end, an attitude like a monster that leaves everything on the field and wants to play football. I think he has a special time behind him, and I can feel it through the wall today that he is ready. He’s really energetic to be on the field.

“He looks good; we want to drive him back, but with the right load so that we don’t lose him on the way again. I would say right now, he looks really good.”

On Bird’s recovery, Struber added, “He’s on a good way. He has, at the moment, a good feeling. He’s not in team training, he trains individually, but also the individual training grows right now – from the load – in a good way.

“I think we’ll have him also back soon.”

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One player who seemingly remains much further away from a return to action, however, is defender McNally. The 26-year-old hasn’t featured for City since he was withdrawn late in the Robins’ 1-0 defeat to Swansea City last February, having sustained what was later confirmed to be an ACL injury.

Struber had initially been hopeful that the former Burnley man would potentially have a part to play for his side in the new year, but the Reds confirmed in an injury update published in November that ‘additional surgery’ had been required to ‘address other post-operative complications.’

While his recovery is progressing in the right direction, McNally remains a while away from a return to action at this stage.

“Luke McNally is much better on the way right now,” the City boss explained. “I would say, of course, he’s not in my frame right now to think so much about him. He has his own rehabilitation programme, but of course, I’m always informed about the steps that he did.

“He is on a good way, and we will have him back, but this needs, of course, some months.”

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