The Robins will miss the recently injured Sam Bell, but it might provide two loanees more opportunity to show off their skills.
Although Bristol City has drifted away from the play-off contenders in recent weeks, Liam Manning and the team’s management have laid some respectable groundwork for the team to improve upon in the remaining games of the season and beyond.
Despite losing their last two games and behind sixth-placed Hull by 11 points, City could have a successful 2024–25 season thanks to a roster full of players in their early to mid-20s.
Sam Bell’s latest injury will be a setback for the Robins in terms of this season, but it may present an opportunity for the club’s two loanee players.
Bell, an Academy product, is anticipated to miss the rest of the season after suffering his injury during the Robins’ 1-0 Championship home loss to QPR.
Although the club will be devastated, it may present an opportunity for on-loan players Scott Twine and Dire Mebude to make their mark on their interim team.
If both forwards make an impression, the team might decide to look into signing them to a permanent contract in the summer.
For Bristol, Sam Bell will be missed.
With a string of starts toward the conclusion of the previous season, Bell established himself as a main starter for the 2023–24 campaign. He had participated in every league game for the Robins before to his injury.
The young forward will miss the remainder of the season due to what City manager Liam Manning has called a “really bad hamstring injury.” He may only be able to return to the field during preseason training. Surgery will be necessary.
| Sam Bell’s Bristol City Career League Stats | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Apps | Goals | Assists |
| 2023/24 | 33 | 5 | 0 |
| 2022/23 | 24 | 3 | 1 |
| 2021/22 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020/21 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Stats Correct As Of February 25, 2024 – As Per Transfermarkt | |||
Bell is well-liked at Ashton Gate. He has been a part of the team since he was a young child and has worked his way up to the current position, for which he was awarded a new three-year contract in October.
Before his hamstring injury, the young player had a successful season, scoring five goals in 33 league games—23 of which were starts.
Bell’s injury lets Scott Twine and Dire Mebude into Bristol City.
Bell, who has played in several attacking positions this season, was a valuable asset to the team.
Thus, it should provide more opportunity for Twine, who is now on loan from Premier League team Burnley, and Mebude, who was joined earlier this month on loan from Belgian side KVC Westerlo with a buyout option, to go on the field and establish their value to Robins manager Manning.
With Bell now scheduled for a period on the sidelines, both players should find opportunities as they can operate in a variety of attacking positions on either wing and through the middle.
Twine played just once for the Robins this season due to injury, but he scored on his debut against Watford to demonstrate his potential value to the team. Twine spent the first half of the season on loan at Hull City, a Championship team, where he recorded four goals and three assists in 25 appearances.
Mebude, who came up via Manchester City’s system before joining his current parent club in Belgium, is a relatively obscure player.
Before joining the Robins in England, he played in just three games in the Jupiler Pro League this season. The 19-year-old has already made two outings for his loan club, but he has not yet received his first start.
Bell’s injury will undoubtedly present the two with opportunities to impress Manning, and it will now be up to them to do it in the latter stages of the campaign.
Manning’s side may already be looking ahead to next season
Currently 11 points below the play-off places, it is not impossible that the Robins will put together a consistent run of results and creep into contention for a promotion place, but another season in the Championship would seem most likely at this stage.
Some members of the club may be considering strengthening the current team and getting ready for a more determined push for promotion the next season, even though they are definitely focused on the task at hand.
If that’s the case, it seems that Twine and Mebude now have the opportunity to influence Ashton Gate’s recruitment department. After all, Mebude has a contract that includes a set cost, which City can activate in advance of the summer.
Should they impress in the remaining games this season, and enjoy their time with the club, then it is feasible that a permanent deal could be on the line, with the chance to play their part in potentially going one better next season.
