Image source, Getty ImagesStriker Ephraim Yeboah has returned to Bristol City after a short loan spell with Southend United.
The 20-year-old joined the National League side at the end of September on a 28-day deal but has returned early after playing once, coming on as a substitute in their defeat by Barrow.
It is ninth against eighth in the Championship at The Valley on Saturday as Charlton Athletic meet Bristol City (12:30 BST).
The Addicks go into the game without a win from their past five games while City snapped a two-match losing streak by beating Watford 1-0 last time out.
Charlton have won one of their past six league games against Bristol City (D2 L3), a 3-2 victory in December 2019.
Following a 2-1 win at Charlton last season, Bristol City are hoping to win consecutive away league games against the Addicks for the first time.
Charlton Athletic have kept three consecutive home league clean sheets, with their past two games at The Valley ending 0-0. Burnley, in January 2025, were the last Championship side to have three 0-0s at home in a row.
Bristol City have won four of their past six league games, as many as they managed in their previous 17 games combined (D5 L8).
Bristol City's Rio Cardines has created the most chances (31) and assisted the most goals (6) in the Championship this season.
Sound of the City (05/10/2026)
The latest episode of BBC Radio Bristol's Sound of the City podcast is out now.
Bristol City's new Under-21s coach Louis Carey joins the show to discuss returning to his hometown club, his coaching journey so far, plans for the academy and bringing joy through football.
Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.
Image source, Bristol City FCBristol City have appointed Ben King as their new set-piece coach.
The 35-year-old joins after a spell as a set-piece analyst with Sheffield Wednesday and has also previously taken positions as head of coaching at Accrington Stanley and as Walsall's under-18s coach.
"We know his [King's] expertise can help us at both ends of the pitch and we are looking forward to working together and improving even further on our already strong set pieces," head coach Michael Skubala told the club website, external.
The Robins are currently the Championship's joint top scorers from set pieces, alongside West Ham United, with six goals which is more than half of their overall goal tally (11).
Skubala's Lincoln City side last season were also the joint top set-piece scorers in League One, with 30 goals.
Image source, ShutterstockElijah Morrison has yet to make a first-team appearance this season
Bristol City wide player Elijah Morrison has signed a new deal to stay at Ashton Gate until the summer of 2028.
The 20-year-old, who has been capped by England's Under-18s, has made five appearances for the Robins, four coming as a substitute in the Championship.
He made his first City start in the EFL Cup first round win over Milton Keynes Dons in August 2025 and spent part of last season on loan at National League side Forest Green Rovers.
"Elijah is a great talent and one we're excited to keep at the club," head coach Michael Skubala told the club website.
"He's energetic, hard-working and deserving of a new contract. It's a big opportunity for him and we're excited to support his journey and see how far he can go."
David Pottier
Fan writer
Bristol City's attempts to get back to the top flight after an absence of 46 years have got off to a better than expected start.
They go into the first international break with 13 points from eight games.
It leaves them in eighth place and if they are still there after 46 games then under the new qualifying format they will be in the play-offs for the second time in three years.
Right now the fanbase seem more unified than they have been for a while.
I do not hear too many murmurs of dissatisfaction about this being a "Three Year Project" under the much changed leadership structure fronted by Michael Skubala, with a professional team behind him in sporting director James Ellis, chief executive Charlie Boss plus the increasingly (I'm sure) influential former Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, who formally joined the board last year.
Football supporters across the country are renowned for their impatience so an apparent acceptance of City not making it to the top flight at the first time of asking under this new regime is a rare quality the club's ownership should be grateful for.
That being said I am probably not alone in casting an envious eye in the direction of Bournemouth, Brentford, and Brighton who, last week, proved their credentials as worthy of having their place at football's top table.
Image source, ShutterstockBournemouth secured an impressive away result in their first ever competitive game in Europe against Real Sociedad in the Europa League. Meanwhile Brentford and Brighton humbled Chelsea and Arsenal in emphatic wins that saw their opponents scoreless.
For most of my 60 years supporting this club, the trio of Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton I have always considered inferior.
The Cherries still have a stadium more the size of a League One ground, while it's not so long ago that the Bees were playing at the compact Griffin Park and Brighton at the infamous Withdean Stadium.
How have these clubs achieved their current status, which looks like being maintained for the foreseeable future?
As I see it the Cherries had a good manager in Eddie Howe who, in his second spell at the club took them out of League One and into the Championship, where they consolidated for one season before winning the title in 2014-15.
However, the club achieved that feat by breaking the Financial Fair Play rules that were in place at that time and they negotiated the initial £7.6m fine for doing so down to £4.75m – a small price to pay in view of the riches that followed their promotion.
Brentford and Brighton have adopted a very different approach and that is a reliance on data when it comes to player recruitment.
The south coast side took this approach to the maximum when in November 2024 they dismissed the majority of their traditional scouting staff, reducing their full-time scout operation to three people. In doing that they decided that the algorithmic approach to making player recruitment decisions was more reliable than the human eye.
Clearly talent acquisition in football has moved on from the manager taking a final check on a prospective target in person on a cold wet night in Stoke.
Through the viewing multiple times of performance enhancing YouTube video clips to this now data led approach, it will be interesting to see if, one day, City end up doing something similar.
You can hear more from David Pottier on the Forever Bristol City podcast., external
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Skubala: "I'm really proud of the boys"
Bristol City manager Michael Skubala spoke to BBC Radio Bristol after his side's 1-0 win against Watford.
"I'm really proud of the boys, it's not easy to go off two losses and to bounce back. I thought they showed some good moments, some real character to defend well at times, to attack the game," he told BBC Radio Bristol.
"Also, lots of changes for the lads that haven't played many minutes – I thought they showed [up] today as a good group, a true group and a squad.
"We have to be proud of the guys, who have come in and put a performance in, who haven't had so many minutes but we're going to need them all.
"The lads were challenged with getting a clean sheet because we haven't had enough of them so I'm really proud of that because it just shows the growth we're going through."
Image source, Getty ImagesBristol City are still waiting to hear the extent of Rob Dickie's injury after the centre-back was carried off during their last game.
Dickie went down holding his knee midway through the second half of the defeat by Lincoln, but 48 hours later manager Michael Skubala said they still were not sure what his prognosis is.
"It could be a long time, it could be not so long but he's seeing a specialist today so by tomorrow or definitely by Monday we'll have a bit more information on that," Skubala told BBC Radio Bristol.
Skubala added that other than knowing it is related to his knee they also do not know the specifics of the injury.
"[We're] not fully sure yet," he said. "It's one of those things where until the specialist has said what it is - it is something to do with his knee."
On a more positive note for Skubala, fellow centre-back Luke McNally played his first minutes for the Robins' under-21 side this week since suffering his own serious knee injury 19 months ago.
McNally returned to training earlier this summer but Skubala stressed that he is still a number of steps in his recovery away from returning to first-team selection.
"He got through 45 minutes but it's different intensity with the under-21s," Skubala said.
"That's the first step, he's been taking all the little baby steps but he's got a few more of them to do before he's fully in with us or fully near selection.
"That's going to take time because it isn't just a case of like other players that come back - 45 minutes and they're straight back with the first-team and selection.
"We've got to build his minutes up because we're still trying to make his body strong."
Bristol City will hope to return to winning ways when Watford visit Ashton Gate on Friday night (20:00 BST).
The Robins' three-game winning run came to an end at Southampton last Saturday and they were then beaten at home by Lincoln City on Tuesday.
Watford are one of seven Championship sides yet to win away so far this season.
Bristol City have won just two of their past 10 Championship meetings with Watford (D4 L4), and could lose back-to-back league games against the Hornets for the first time since September 2010.
After their 2-1 win in this exact fixture last season, Watford could enjoy back-to-back league wins away to Bristol City for just the third time in their history, after October 1947 and March 2012.
Bristol City have lost six of their past nine league games at Ashton Gate (W3), while overall they could lose three league matches in a row for only the second time since the start of 2025 (March 2026 previously).
Watford have lost seven of their past eight away games in the Championship (D1), including both of their past two without scoring.
Bristol City's Rio Cardines leads the Championship this season for assists (five) and chances created (24), while only Jarrod Bowen (2.9) has a higher expected assists total than his 2.4.
David Pottier
Fan writer, Forever Bristol City Podcast
City manager Michael Skubala was tactically out-thought by his former assistants, Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, as Lincoln earned the points in a dour encounter under the lights at Ashton Gate.
The away side defended deep and there simply wasn't enough creativity in the City team to find a way through.
One Imps player who would have drawn much personal satisfaction from a defence-inspired victory was Ryley Towler, who began his career at Ashton Gate before being deemed surplus to requirements.
Towler initially moved to Portsmouth but then last year made the move north and was a virtual ever-present in the Lincoln team that ran away with the League One title.
The goal that won the game was a defensive catastrophe for City. Keeper Sam Tickle threw the ball short to Lisav Eisatt who, under pressure, passed to his defensive partner Rob Dickie, who himself was under pressure from Lincoln's press.
Careless is the only word to describe Dickie's pass back to Tickle which was mishit, allowing Lincoln's Ben House to tap the ball to Freddie Draper to turn into the empty net.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe night got even worse for Dickie who was stretchered off with what looked a potentially season-ending leg injury on 76 minutes.
With the right-footed Noah Eile a ready-made replacement from the bench, Skubala, for reasons best known to himself, brought on the left-footed and certainly not aerially dominant Rob Atkinson for what was left of the game.
With City in action again against Watford on Friday evening before the extended international break the fans will be waiting expectantly on Skubala's team selection.
In a side lacking creativity surely there must be a start for Tomi Horvat. Striker Dom Ballard, whom City paid £5m to sign, is surely worth a start as a single striker and that is not a slight on Lorent Tolaj who has worked hard with little service.
With Yu Hirakawa offering little in the way of end product (the Burnley winner aside) and Jed Wallace and Sam Greenwood not exactly pacy wide options, might Skubala be tempted to start Sam Bell who did enough in last season's closing months to earn a three-year contract?
One thing City must do is give home supporters something to cheer on a more frequent basis. Last night's defeat meant they have only won nine of their past 25 games at Ashton Gate.
You can hear more from David Pottier on the Forever Bristol City podcast, external.
We asked for your thoughts after Tuesday's Championship match between Bristol City and Lincoln City.
The Imps jumped into the play-off places after making it five games unbeaten, with four clean sheets along the way, with victory over former boss Michael Skubala's new side.
It means back-to-back defeats for the Robins, who have lost two of their three games at Ashton Gate without scoring.
Here are some of your comments:
Bristol City fans
Simon: Unfortunately it is the same old Bristol City. Previous managers have had the same start but cannot guide this club to success. The fans have become restless and it is not going to get easier. Fair play to Lincoln, they stuck to their game plan which they deployed last season - done City a right kipper.
Alan: Possession with very little purpose.
Tim: What an appalling performance by City. Far too passive and slow in possession. Our midfield lacked creativity and, as usual when playing against physical opponents, came off second best in the important challenges. There's no obvious change in our playing style at home under Skubala yet, other than playing for set-pieces where Cardines' delivery was unusually poor. Where on earth is Tomi Horvat?
Farouk: Is there a more consistently disappointing team in the Championship than Bristol City. The Lansdown family continues to prove it's far better at investing other people's money than their own, and this ever-growing toxic atmosphere in a soulless stadium is no longer a place to take my children. A decade of continually buying and selling the wrong players, erratic tactics and inflated prices have tested the patience of even the greatest BS3 intellectuals.
Patrick: Same old story! Lack of quality up front!
Image source, Getty ImagesLincoln City fans
Tony: What a defensive unit the Imps have, truly awesome, and the work rate of everyone else is incredible. We win as a team and fight for each other for the full 90+ minutes. Totally unexpected start to the campaign, keep it up you mighty Imps.
Paul: Great performance, all playing for each other, what a defence!
Brent: Well done! Imps so far exceeding expectations. Skooby can hardly be surprised.
Graeme: Ok it's not pretty but the way these players back each other up is exceptional. One real chance and it was taken.
Kevin: Congratulations to the mighty Imps. They may be playing in the second tier for the first time in 65 seasons but holding their own, for now. Long may it continue.
Skubala: "We didn't do enough to put them to the sword"
Michael Skubala spoke to BBC Radio Bristol after his side were defeated by his former club Lincoln City.
"I don't think we did enough," Skubala said.
"We had enough of the ball but this team [Lincoln], I know them well, they're not too interested about the ball. They defend solid, they don't give up chances easily, and in the end we gave up a sloppy chance.
"That's not good enough from us. It's too sloppy. You've got to respect the level more, the game more, and we didn't need to take those risks there, and they pounced on it. I can't remember another chance they really created.
"We didn't do enough to put them to the sword when we did have the ball. The first half we were on top, the second half after the goal we huffed and puffed without any real quality.
"It's both boxes that hurt us again. The middle of the pitch we can control the game, get hold of the ball, and move the ball a bit too slow at times, but it just feels like we're conceding too easy and we're not scoring enough."
Image source, PA MediaBristol City centre-back Rob Dickie was stretchered off with what looks like a "really bad injury", according to manager Michael Skubala.
The defender went down clutching his knee in the 75th minute of their defeat by Lincoln City, before medical staff carried him off the pitch.
"That's probably the most disappointing thing tonight," Skubala told BBC Radio Bristol.
"That looks like a really bad injury. Rob doesn't go down easy, so when you see him going down like that and getting stretchered off you know it's quite a big one.
"We've got to scan him in the morning but for me that's probably the first big injury of the season."
From his relationship with head coach Michael Skubala to his plans for January, Bristol City sporting director James Ellis had plenty to talk about when he joined BBC Radio Bristol's Sound of the City programme on Monday night.
Join Ellis as he also highlights the special displays from on-loan Crystal Palace defender Rio Cardines that have yielded five assists in five games and the future of the club, including how City are working to develop their young academy talent.
All that and so much more...
Listen above or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.
