Overview
- Emil Riis is available for the Stoke trip after hamstring discomfort kept him out against Birmingham, with Gerhard Struber to decide on Friday whether he starts.
- Sinclair Armstrong scored the winner versus Birmingham in his first league start of the season, keeping pressure on the starting role up front.
- Bristol City sit fourth after 12 matches with only two defeats and three straight wins, facing fifth-placed Stoke who are one point behind at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday.
- Struber says the squad remains thin with Jason Knight, Max Bird, Joe Williams, Cam Pring, Luke McNally, Josh Stokes and Harry Cornick still sidelined, sharpening the focus on load management over a busy week.
- Forward Olly Thomas made his debut off the bench against Birmingham as the club leans into its academy pathway under Struber, supported by the hiring of Dennis Baraznowski to bridge U21s to the first team.