Liam Manning is confident Rob Dickie will be fit to return to the Bristol City squad for this Saturday’s trip to Norwich City as the centre-back is expected to train at the High Performance Centre from Monday having missed the Robins last three matches.
City have been without Dickie for games against Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers and Huddersfield Town due to a calf injury he sustained at Plymouth Argyle on Easter Monday, while Manning has revealed the defender's also been dealing with illness and a bout of shingles, but providing he comes through the sessions in Failand, he should return to the matchday squad at Carrow Road.
Dickie’s presence in the squad is a timely one given Zak Vyner’s knee injury which is set to keep him out for around two weeks, while Rob Atkinson and Kal Naismith have been ruled out for the rest of the season leaving Manning with the possibility of no fit senior specialist centre-backs for the remaining three matches of 2023/24.
The 28-year-old has been a consistent and reliable presence at the heart of the Robins defence all season, outside of a brief period across late August and early September where he lost his place due to suspension. A signing from QPR last summer, he is the favourite to be named City’s Player of the Season.
Norwich's 76 goals make them the joint fourth-highest scoring team in the Championship and the Canaries possess one of the league's most in-form strikers in American international Josh Sargent, who has 15 goals in 23 matches.
“He was out on the grass on Friday but the fact he’s done one session (meant he was left out against Huddersfield), because he’s had shingles and he was ill the day before Leicester, he’s done hardly anything in the last four weeks so I expect him to train Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and then be available for the weekend,” said Manning of Dickie.
With Vyner and Dickie ruled out of the visit of Huddersfield Town on Saturday, it was left to George Tanner to anchor the back three for the first time in his career. The 24-year-old was excellent in repelling the Terriers, alongside fellow full-backs Ross McCrorie and Haydon Roberts, and although City conceded for the first time since March 16, Manning was delighted with Tanner’s contribution.
The versatile defender has added consistency to his game but, based on Manning’s assessment, it's built around a greater sense of confidence, something that should be high after his display against Huddersfield’s Delano Burgzorg whose physical threat made for a constant battle.
“I love him, I think he’s been great, I think he’s done terrifically well,” Manning added. “You go back to some of the games and he’s played against some of the best wingers in the league and he’s done a terrific job. Up against Sunderland recently, I thought he did a really good job of keeping Jack Clarke quiet.
“(Delano) Burgzorg, the striker for them is a real handful; runs well, is quick, strong and he did a great job in coming out on top in some of the duels with him and he’s progressing all the time. When I look throughout the team, there are players who are improving. Learning and getting better, as I’ve said numerous times, doesn’t follow a nice smooth line, it is something that is up and down.
“We’ve sat a few times recently just about his confidence and belief in himself and his bravery with the ball, because we know how good he is defensively. He’s technically excellent as well, he’s got real quality. It’s now just probably more the decision-making element. I’ve been really pleased with him, he’s been a massive positive for us.”
City’s slim defensive resources also appear to have motivated them to recall Under-21 centre-back Raphael Araoye from Weston-super-mare ahead of schedule. The 19-year-old signed for the National League South side in January and has made 15 appearances but will see out the 2023/24 campaign back in Bristol amid the injury issues in that area of the field.
Araoye’s U21 centre-back partner Jamie Knight-Lebel has been a regular in matchday squads for the majority of the season and after making two substitute appearances this term, was handed his home debut against Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday, coming on for the final five minutes, with his previous two first-team showings at Cardiff City and Nottingham Forest,
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