Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson has revealed that Joe Williams is making good progress in his recovery from injury and could be in line to make his return to action next month.

The midfielder has experienced a stop-start season to date as he has struggled to maintain his fitness.

Currently being forced to watch on from the sidelines after sustaining a hamstring injury during the club's 1-0 victory over Stoke City, Williams will be determined to make a positive impact for his side when he is available for selection again.

In the 25-year-old's absence, the Robins have only managed to accumulate four points from their last four league games.

After suffering a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Huddersfield Town earlier this month, it will be intriguing to see whether Pearson's side are able to deliver a response to this particular setback in their meeting with QPR this evening at Ashton Gate.

The Robins sealed all three points in the reverse fixture thanks to a strike from Nahki Wells in stoppage-time.

Ahead of this fixture, Pearson has shared an injury update on Williams.

Speaking to Bristol Live about whether the midfielder is still training independently, the Robins boss said: "No, he's trained with us this [Wednesday] morning and he's trained very well, so he's making really good progress."

 

 

Pearson later added: "He will hopefully be back available for selection in January."

The Verdict

This is an encouraging update for the Robins as Williams has produced some promising performances for the club this season and thus his return to action will provide his side with a boost.

Particularly impressive during City's 3-2 victory over Peterborough United in October, the midfielder managed to provide an assist in this particular fixture as he recorded a WhoScored match rating of 7.29.

If Williams is able to avoid another injury setback this season, there is no reason why he cannot potentially become a mainstay in the club's starting eleven.

By stepping up to the mark for the Robins, the former Wigan Athletic man could help his current side climb the Championship standings in 2022.