23 September 2020

Bristol City captain Tomas Kalas among seven absentees for cup clash with Villa

23 September 2020

Club captain Tomas Kalas is among seven Bristol City players missing for Thursday’s Carabao Cup third-round tie against Aston Villa at Ashton Gate.

Kalas has joined the roll call of Robins’ casualties, with a shoulder injury expected to keep the Czech Republic international out of action for up to two months.

On-loan defender Alfie Mawson wore the armband in Sunday’s 2-0 Sky Bet Championship win at Stoke.

Callum O’Dowda (groin), Jay Dasilva (shin), Joe Morrell (calf), Joe Williams (thigh) and Liam Walsh (quad) and Nathan Baker (hamstring) remain out and boss Dean Holden will give another opportunity to players who impressed during the 4-0 win over Northampton in round two.

Bertrand Traore stands by for a Villa debut following his reported £17million move from Lyon.

The former Chelsea striker has not played since the French League Cup final at the end of July.

Ezri Konsa, who scored the winner against Sheffield United in Villa’s Premier League opener, faces a late test on a tight hamstring and doubts remain over back-up centre-half Bjorn Engels.

Villa boss Dean Smith is expected to make changes with one eye on Monday’s league game at Fulham, and that could mean starts for Ahmed Elmohamady, Anwar El Ghazi, Kortney Hause, Marvelous Nkamba and Neil Taylor.

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