Bristol City boss Lee Johnson has revealed that midfielder Kasey Palmer missed his side's 3-1 defeat to Birmingham City on Friday night due to a respiratory problems.

The Robins saw their four-game winning run to come to an end against the Blues as Jamie Paterson's opener was cancelled out by strikes from Scott Hogan and Lukas Jutkiewicz either side of Andreas Weimann's own goal.

Johnson named the same starting line-up that beat QPR 1-0 last time out, but there was no room for Palmer in the match-day squad with the midfielder having now not featured in the league since December.

However, as per Bristol Live reporter Gregor MacGregor, Johnson confirmed that the 23-year-old was an enforced exclusion from the squad as a result of the chest pains he has been suffering of late.

Palmer has endured a mixed second season at Ashton Gate with the former Chelsea man having made 21 appearances for the Robins, but he has only been named in the starting line-up 11 times in the Championship.

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The Verdict

It has seemed strange that Palmer has not featured during City's last eight Championship matches, but Johnson's post-match comments at least provide something of an explanation for his absence.

Palmer can add an extra dimension to City's midfield with his creativity and ball-playing ability, but perhaps his absence was not really felt prior to last night as a result of the Robins' excellent form in recent weeks.

The midfielder's quality means he should always been in consideration for a starting place as long as he is fully fit, and he could still have a key role to play at Ashton Gate this term if he overcomes his fitness troubles.