Radek Vitek has featured in Bristol City training this week, and there is no reason why the Manchester United loanee can’t start against Oxford United, Gerhard Struber has confirmed, whilst providing the latest injury update from the Robins’ camp.

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City travel to the Kassam Stadium to face the U’s on Saturday afternoon as they look to build on their FA Cup win over Watford in the league. Matt Bloomfield’s side currently sit 23rd in the Championship, having lost five of their last seven games in England’s second tier.

The Reds, on the other hand, have won four of their last six games in all competitions. That good run of form over the course of the festive period and the start of January has come with Max O’Leary – and more recently, Joe Lumley – between the posts in the absence of Vitek.

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Vitek has been sidelined since mid-December, having sustained a knee injury in training. After undergoing a small procedure, the 22-year-old was expected to be out of action until February, but he has recovered quicker than expected and is set to be in contention again this weekend.

“It looks really good,” the head coach said on the Manchester United loanee’s fitness on Wednesday afternoon. “He trained with us the last few days, [in] team training.

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“Everything goes well, feedback is good, so there’s no reason, at the moment, why he cannot start on Saturday.”

“I have a big trust in Radek,” Struber added. “He show us in the last few months, so many, many times, that he is an outstanding profile and we don’t think too much.

“When he’s ready, and he gives me the green light, and the medical department gives me the green light, there’s no reason for me to wait. We jump back with him as soon as possible.”

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After a difficult spell with injuries, it feels as though City are slowly but surely getting closer to having a fully fit squad at their disposal once again, leading into the second half of the campaign.

However, a handful of players do remain on the treatment table at this moment in time, namely, longer-term absentees Max Bird and Luke McNally. Struber had admitted, though, last week that both Joe Williams and Mark Sykes were edging closer to a return to the fold, with the latter holding an outside chance of featuring against the U’s – his former club – this weekend.

While the door is not completely shut on such a possibility, it seems as though the Ireland international – and Williams for that matter – may be more likely to play a part against Ipswich Town or Sheffield Wednesday next week.

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“Joey Williams and Mark Sykes are much closer,” Struber explained. “Maybe this game is a little bit too early, but they’re on a really good way, and we hope, in the end, that they are quickly back.”

One of the more recent additions to City’s absentee list has been Fally Mayulu. The Frenchman hasn’t been included in a matchday squad since he appeared as a second-half substitute against Middlesbrough in the Reds’ final game before Christmas.

On Boxing Day, it was confirmed that the forward had sustained a quad injury following his cameo that Struber expected to rule him out for the next four to six weeks. The Robins’ early prognosis appears to have been accurate, with a return expected either at the end of this month or early in February.

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On the forward’s current condition, the City boss told Bristol Live, “Not bad. I think also Fally made good steps back.

“I would say end of January or first week of February, he could be ready and available.”

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