Bristol City manager Lee Johnson has confirmed that forward Saikou Janneh is set to miss four months following an operation on his knee.

The teenager has really impressed with the first-team squad in pre-season and no City player scored more goals from open play during the preparations for the 2019/20 season than Janneh.

The 19-year-old turned heads with his performance against Forest Green Rovers last week, changing the game when he came on just after the hour and helping the Robins win 4-3, after being 3-1 down.

The Bristol Post has reported that Janneh was lined up for a loan move to Doncaster Rovers but that has fallen through due to his injury.

Speaking to Bristol Post today, Johnson revealed that Janneh was out for four months after having surgery on his knee due to a meniscus injury.

The City boss also provided an update on some of the other injuries in the squad.

He confirmed that Bailey Wright has a minor injury and could train before the end of the week.

Johnson also noted that Niki Maenpaa will be out for the Championship opener as he is managing his calf issue to ensure it doesn’t happen again, and Korey Smith will not return until December or January at the earliest.

The Verdict

This is a really unfortunate injury for the young man after he had been fantastic in pre-season.

Janneh was excellent out on loan with National League South side Torquay United last season, scoring 18 goals, providing 14 assists, and helping the Gulls win the league title, and it appears his performances in pre-season had earned him a chance on loan in League One.

Clearly, he is a highly thought of player at the club, as evidenced by the new four-year contract that he signed at Ashton Gate earlier this summer.

Janneh had shown in pre-season why he is so highly-rated at City and it is a huge blow for his development for this injury to come at this point.