Bristol City could face real struggle after frustrating Rob Dickie news: View | OneFootball

The injury news regarding Rob Dickie will be a worrying for Bristol City fans.

Bristol City's first three games of the season would have given them hope that they could end their nine-year stint of mid-table mediocrity.

A 4-3 victory over Millwall was sandwiched between 1–1 draws with Hull City and Coventry City, but Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Derby County would likely have dampened the mood in the Robins camp.

The key player missing for the game against the Rams was Rob Dickie. The centre-back was snapped up last season from Queens Park Rangers for a fee of £1 million and has been a regular in the side ever since.

His brilliant performances last year earned him Player of the Season, but he won't be available for the foreseeable after he injured his hamstring against Coventry. This is set to keep the dominant defender out of action for around two months, and with that lack of leadership at the back, there is a possibility it derails Bristol City's play-off ambitions.

Bristol City will miss Rob Dickie

Having pulled up early in the second half against the Sky Blues, Robins fans would have feared the worst. Luckily, the length of time isn't as bad as it could have been, but with Manning confirming it will be "a few months", it provides enough time for them to slip right down that table.

While the Bristol City players wouldn't admit to being too concerned, they will know just how big a miss the 28-year-old will be.

Last year, he was one of the top centre-backs in the division, anchoring a defence that conceded just 51 goals - the fourth-best record in the league.

On a personal level, his statistics reflect a player at the top of his game. Last season, according to FotMob, he was among the top 10% of central defenders in the Championship for duels, aerial duels, interceptions, and recoveries.

In comparison to his defensive partners, he is a real step up and his importance to the side was no more reflected than in the 3-0 defeat to Derby where he wasn't present. In a team that is usually so solid, the Robins gave up a host of opportunities, with Paul Warne's side still scoring three despite missing four big chances.

Without him in the side, City's backline lack physicality and that can be a real problem in the Championship.

With around a quarter of the season to be played over the next two months, Bristol City cannot afford to be weak in defence. The pressure will be on players like Zak Vyner, Kai Naismith and new signing Luke McNally to step up and match the standard set by Dickie.

Liam Manning places faith in his defence

Despite Manning obviously not wanting to lose Dickie, he still has faith in his other options as he spoke about in his post-match press conference.

Speaking to Bristol Live about the situation, he said: “Rob’s been great for us. He brings a lot of quality with and without the ball and his dominance in both boxes, but it is what it is, there’s no point getting hung up or emotional about it.

“In terms of what we’ve been able to do is bring in Luke McNally, someone who’s proven at the level and we’ve got Naisy and big Rob Atkinson coming back as well."

Clearly, Manning still has faith in his defence, but he will know that a bad couple of months without Dickie will place a lot of pressure on him.

If they struggle without the Scotsman, they could once again be staring down the prospect of another mid-table finish.

At this point, Robins fans are beginning to get restless about the lack of ambition and if they don't make that fabled top six in the next two seasons, there could be a serious cloud hanging over the club.

For this campaign and the following one, the presence of Dickie will be a key factor. So, minimising their losses over the next two months is important as they can't afford to be left behind when he returns.