Cam Pring is expected to return to Bristol City training this week having missed the Robins last two pre-season injuries with soreness in his knee, while Kal Naismith, Matty James and Joe Williams were all rested against Plymouth.
Pring was absent from the City teamsheet against Argyle on Saturday, five days after assistant manager Curtis Fleming revealed he pulled out of the Portsmouth game on the morning of the match due to issues with his knee.
Speaking after the 1-0 win over Plymouth, first-team coach Jason Euell revealed Pring’s injury is being monitored and while he’ll miss Tuesday’s double header at the High Performance Centre against Forest Green Rovers and Exeter City, the expectation is he’ll return to training potentially in time for Bournemoith on Saturday.
“That’s just precaution”, Euell said. “He’s got an injection on it either Tuesday or Wednesday and he’s scheduled to start back training this week.”
Also missing against Argyle were first-team regulars Williams, James and new signing Naismith. All three had started City’s first two friendlies against Cheltenham Town and Pompey and look near-certainties to be in the XI for the season opener at Hull City on July 30.
Euell admitted their respective workloads over the week, against Pompey and in training, meant manager Nigel Pearson didn’t want to over-burden them with minutes at Plymouth as they’re likely to be involved again against Forest Green or Exeter and then potentially the Cherries.
James and Williams both experienced extended injury absences last season, while Naismith’s campaign was extended into May with a further two play-off games for Luton Town before he made the switch to Ashton Gate on a three-year contract.
“It’s to do with what our working week is like,” Euell added. “I think at everyone looks at where it’s match minutes and playing games, that’s where you can get your fitness from, but it’s judged with the sports science and medical team about the load that they do throughout the whole week and we have to be careful with some of these guys, especially with Willo and the injuries he had last year.
“He’s come back and he’s been flying but we don’t want to flog him because ultimately it’s about being fit and being able to perform that first game of the season, and it’s the same with Matty and the same with Kal.
“Kal had a longer season than everyone else. We’ve just got to be mindful - yes, they could miss today but they’re still doing work and we know we still have two games on Tuesday, and next week. It’s all been planned in terms of how we want to get the mileage in their legs and the fitness to ensure they’re ready first game.”
Centre-back Tomas Kalas, meanwhile, continues to recover from groin surgery he underwent towards the end of last season and although the Czech Republic international has trained this summer, he's yet to feature in any of the Robins friendlies so far.
New goalkeeper Stefan Bajic revealed last week he's still "a few weeks away" from first-team contention having undergone surgery on a wrist injury before signing for City.
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