Bristol City will be without midfield pair Joe Williams and Liam Walsh when they begin their Sky Bet Championship season against Coventry at Ashton Gate.

Williams, who signed from Wigan last month, and Walsh, who spent last season on loan with the Sky Blues, are expected to return sooner rather than later but respective thigh injuries mean they will be absent this weekend.

Republic of Ireland winger Callum O’Dowda is also out after injuring his groin on international duty, while defender Nathan Baker is expected to be out until Christmas with a hamstring problem.

Midfielder Chris Brunt and striker Chris Martin could be among the debutants.

Defensive pair Fankaty Dabo and Michael Rose could make their competitive returns for Coventry after they both underwent hip surgery over the summer.

Dabo and Rose both featured for around an hour in a pre-season friendly against Solihull Moors earlier this week but Sky Blues boss Mark Robins is wary of rushing their comebacks.

Jodi Jones faces another lengthy spell on the sidelines owing to an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee. Jones has previously come back from two identical injuries in his left knee.

Fellow winger Wesley Jobello could be back in training at the end of the month after tearing his ACL last October while defender Julien Dacosta is out until November after undergoing an operation on ankle ligament damage.