Bristol City will be without Kane Wilson for around four months after the wing-back underwent knee surgery this week.
Wilson felt the injury in the aftermath of his substitute appearance against QPR on October 1 and has not featured in a City squad since, with manager Nigel Pearson hoping the problem was just a “grumble”. But scans revealed something more serious and the 22-year-old has gone under the knife to fix the problem, which will keep him out of action until February next year.
Speaking after the 2-1 win over Preston North End on Wednesday night, when asked how long Wilson will be out for, Pearson replied: “Four months, something like that.”
Before adding, “I’ve not actually spoken to him yet so hopefully I’ll see him tomorrow,” in response to a question around how the defender must be feeling, in what has been a deeply frustrating start to life in a City shirt.
Wilson arrived amid considerable excitement in the summer after choosing City as his next destination following an outstanding campaign with Forest Green Rovers where he was a key part of their promotion-winning side and was named League Two Player of the Year.
He was a natural right-sided wing-back something City had lacked throughout the 2021/22 campaign where, for the most part, Alex Scott deputised in the position taking him away from his more natural, and effective, central midfield role.
But after some encouraging performances in pre-season, on the eve of the Robins’ final summer friendly against Bournemouth, Wilson sustained a knock which led to Mark Sykes taking the right wing-back spot and the fellow summer signing has kept the position ever since, bar games against Cardiff and Blackpool where he was out suspended and Scott returned to the role.
Wilson therefore has been limited to two starts in the Carabao Cup and 74 minutes off the substitutes’ bench in the league and now will have to wait until next year before he makes his full Championship debut for the club.
Posting on Twitter earlier this week, Wilson wrote: “Gutted that I’m going to be out for a while, but I’m happy to say my op went well. Fully focused now on coming back stronger and getting back out there with the boys!”
Pearson retains options at right wing-back with Sykes in ownership of the position with competition from George Tanner and Scott, although the 19-year-old’s talent remain best deployed in central midfield, while Jay Dasilva did, on occasion, switch flanks last season.
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