Bristol City are set to be without Nathan Baker for this weekend's clash with Barnsley as the defender has yet to make a full recovery from the head injury that he suffered during last Saturday's clash with West Bromwich Albion.
Baker was substituted by manager Nigel Pearson during the second-half of this fixture and was sent to hospital as a precaution due to the severity of his issue.
Whilst the defender was discharged from hospital on Saturday evening, he will not feature for the Robins in their meeting with Barnsley.
Having suffered a 3-0 defeat at The Hawthorns last weekend, Pearson's side will be determined to get back on track by delivering an eye-catching display against the Tykes.
Although the Robins have yet to win a league game at Ashton Gate this season, they may fancy their chances of securing all three-points in-front of their supporters against a Barnsley outfit who have lost their last six matches in the Championship.
Making reference to Baker, Pearson has admitted that the defender will be forced to watch on from the sidelines on Saturday.
Speaking to the Bristol Post about Baker ahead of the club's meeting with Barnsley, the Robins boss said: "He's not going to take part this week, and probably won't be next week either.
"It was a very bad knock to the head so he's not been in so far.
"I thought I might have seen him by Wednesday or Thursday and hopefully he'll be in tomorrow.
"The most important thing with head injuries is that the player's health is the primary factor."
The Verdict
This is unquestionably a blow for the Robins as they would have been hoping to call upon the services of Baker this weekend.
The 30-year-old has managed to illustrate some real signs of promise for the club in the 12 games that he has played in the Championship this season and is currently averaging a respectable WhoScored match rating of 6.71 at this level.
The Robins will be hoping to finally end their wait for a home win in Baker's absence on Saturday.
Providing that Pearson's side are able to seal a much-needed victory at Ashton Gate, they could use the momentum gained from this result to push on in the Championship in November.