City lose stopper

Bristol City have lost defender Matt Heywood for the next month.

The central defender has been forced to have surgery on a knee injury and will now be out until the end of March.

"Matt has been in for surgery and it was found necessary to do a bit more trimming in the knee," said City boss Gary Johnson.

"As with all exploratory knee operations, you are looking at four or five weeks on the sidelines.

"We have been trying to sign a replacement with the same type of physique as Matt, as much with a view to the future as the present.

"Although Louis Carey and Liam Fontaine have been doing well and Richard Keogh has returned full of confidence from his Irish Under-21 trip, you sometimes need that 6ft 4ins monster at the back.

"It is particularly disappointing to lose Matt at a time when he was playing his best football since I arrived.

"We will continue to investigate loan possibilities."