Dylan Kadji is set for a place in the Bristol City matchday squad for the first time in his fledgling professional career after the midfielder was surprisingly left out of the Under-21 side against Millwall on Monday.
Kadji has been a regular for Ali Hines’ side so far this season, but both he and U21 top-scorer Sam Bell weren’t included in the 16-man party that drew 1-1 against the Lions at The Den.
Bristol Live understands that neither player is injured, meaning the logical conclusion to draw is that they’re being kept in mind for Tuesday night’s Championship game against Coventry City at Ashton Gate.
Nigel Pearson has a number of selection issues in midfield with Alex Scott serving a one-match suspension following his fifth yellow card of the season, Matty James out with a groin injury and doubts over whether Joe Williams can start two games in four days.
That leaves Han-Noah Massengo and Andy King as City’s only senior central midfielders, with Andi Weimann and Mark Sykes able to occupy more advanced roles. On the assumption that the former two start against Coventry, Pearson will require another midfielder to fill a bench spot in that position.
Kadji made his City debut earlier in the season when he started in the Carabao Cup second round tie at Wycombe Wanderers, opening the scoring after just seven minutes. That was after the 18-year-old had been an unused substitute against Coventry in the first round.
The teenager has been earmarked by Pearson as a potential first-team breakthrough player for this season having consistently trained with the first-team since last autumn, and City’s lack of senior central midfield options could open the door for him, albeit for just one game.
But with the January transfer window still almost three months away and with James, Williams and King all suffering injury issues over the last 12 months, there’s every chance he’ll get another opportunity along the way.
In Bell’s case, the forward has reasonable Championship experience having played 312 minutes last season over six appearances, four of which were starts, but his only involvement this season has been five minutes as a late substitute against Coventry in the Carabao Cup.
His path to the first-team is a little more complicated than Kadji’s with Nahki Wells, Tommy Conway, Antoine Semenyo, Chris Martin and Weimann all ahead of him in the forward's department, so even making the bench would be impressive, unless there are some undisclosed injuries in that area of the field.
Pearson revealed last week that the club had considered loaning the 20-year-old out over the summer but the decision was made that his development would be best served at the Robins High Performance Centre. He has scored five goals in his last three appearances for the U21s.
City's U21 remained unbeaten for the season with a 1-1 draw in south east London as Ben Acey claimed a first-half equaliser after Mason Bennett had opened the scoring for the hosts. The Robins then played the entirety of the second half with 10 men following Tommy Backwell's dismissal on the stroke of half-time for two yellow cards.
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