Nigel Pearson says new signing Nikita Haikin is unlikely to make his first-team debut this weekend against West Brom but has tasked the goalkeeper to fight for his long-term future at Bristol City.
The 27-year-old joined on a short-term contract until the end of the season on Wednesday, with the announcement coming an hour after Dan Bentley's move to Wolves was confirmed. Haikin had been without a club since the beginning of January after opting against extending his deal with former club Bodo/Glimt.
He arrives in BS3 with a varied career having played in Portugal, Spain, Israel, Russia and Norway while achieving plenty of success with the latter. Haikin won two league titles and featured heavily in their Europa League campaigns including starring in victories over Roma and Celtic.
