Nigel Pearson has ruled Liam Walsh out for the season, bringing a close to a desperately disappointing campaign for the Bristol City midfielder.
There was considerable excitement surrounding Walsh following his breakout season in League One for Coventry City last season in which he led the Sky Blues to promotion with a series of brilliant displays.
However, Walsh sustained an injury during pre-season which meant he didn’t feature at all for the club until March 13, amid concerns over how his recovery was being managed along with teammate Joe Williams.
Walsh returned as a substitute against Birmingham City, for what was his first Championship appearance in a City shirt for 23 months, and Blackburn before starting against Rotherham.
However, the 23-year-old was surprisingly not included in the City squad for the Good Friday fixture against Stoke with Nigel Pearson revealing he had suffered a hamstring injury.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s clash with Nottingham Forest, Pearson stated Walsh and young striker Sam Bell – whose debut against Stoke lasted just 16 minutes after also suffering a hamstring injury – will not play again in 2020/21.
He did, however, offer some hope regarding centre-back Nathan Baker who played for the Under-23s last month after six-month absence with a hamstring problem sustained in pre-season, and who has trained since, but has not been part of any matchday squads.
“It’s fair to say it’s unlikely we’ll see Sam again this season, likewise with Walshy,” Pearson told Robins TV. “They won’t be available.
“Nathan is a possibility but we’ll see. I try not to waste much energy with people who aren’t available and it’s not that I’m not bothered about them, but it’s more about drawing a line under it and thinking about what we can do with those players who are available.
“We’ve had issues which I think have limited our ability to build on success but it’s something we have to resolve in the medium-long term. It’s about concentrating on the players who are available and trying to change the run we are on.”
Walsh’s absence only enhances the concern around his long-term future at the club with the talented midfielder out of contract this summer, although there is a strong desire from within Ashton Gate for the 23-year-old, who signed from Everton in 2018, to stay.
Baker is also one of 14 players who become free agents in the summer and after a season of no first-team football up to now will be keen to impress and show he’s worthy of an extension.
