Bristol City will be missing five international players for their game against Exeter City on Saturday 5 September in the first round of the Carabao Cup - and it could be six if Ashley Williams is still a Robin by then, as the veteran is in Ryan Giggs' Wales squad too.
Additionally, centre-back Nathan Baker is a doubt for that match as well, after coming off early in the friendly draw against Aston Villa on Wednesday afternoon.
Playing against his former side, the 29-year-old was taken off the field of play after a strong challenge on the floor, in the penalty area near to six yard box in the first half of yesterday's first game.
Baker was withdrawn using a motorised vehicle and the central defender may miss City's first competitive game of the season against Exeter City - but Dean Holden's side have further problems too.
Liam Walsh and Joe Williams were absent from Wednesday's games and Bristol Live has learned that both are nursing knocks.
Some sources have even suggested that Williams is out for a lengthy amount of time - up to 12 weeks - with an injury that was carried over from his time at Wigan, in what would be an early blow for Bristol City's 2020/21 hopes.
There is no confirmation from the club on this but Holden is due to give an update following Saturday's game against Swindon.
Walsh, meanwhile, is also recovering from injury but is described as going through the final parts of rehabilitation before he is able to rejoin the Bristol City squad. He is not expected to be out for much longer.
The Robins played two 60-minute games on Wednesday afternoon at the Vale Resort just outside Cardiff, with City winning the first match 1-0 thanks to a Jamie Paterson goal, and Villa taking the second game 1-0 through Mbwana Ally Samatta.
Jack Grealish set up Villa's goal while Famara Diedhiou was heavily involved as the Robins scored, as CEO Mark Ashton, Cardiff City boss Neil Harris and Newport County's Mike Flynn were all in attendance at the Vale Resort to watch on.
Two (mostly) different teams were fielded in the two games and in the second game head coach Dean Holden mixed his side up, playing Tyreeq Bakinson in a back three with Taylor Moore and Zak Vyner, with Tommy Rowe and Adam Nagy as wing-backs.
Sam Szmodics joined Han-Noah Massengo and Kasey Palmer in the middle while Andi Weimann and Antoine Semenyo were fielded in attack. (Second 60 minutes team: O'Leary; Vyner, Bakinson, Moore; Nagy, Massengo, Palmer, Szmodics, Rowe; Weimann, Semenyo.)
That was after a first game that included Joe Morrell in central midfield and Callum O'Dowda playing as a left wing-back.
The Robins are set to play Swindon Town on Saturday at Ashton Gate, and it will be interesting to see if Baker or Walsh make that game before the new campaign starts the week after against the Grecians.
City are currently on course to be missing those five or six international players, with Han-Noah Massengo the latest to be called up on Thursday to represent France U20s in a game against Paris FC on 4 September, plus any players who fail to recover from injury.
