Liam Manning explains importance of academy as injured Bristol City duo close in on return

-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Liam Manning has explained the importance of utilising Bristol City’s Under-21’s side to help first-team players step up their returns from injury. And the Robins head coach has also made clear of the significance for young players to learn from the seniors who appear in academy games.

Last week saw the City’s U21s make the trip to South Wales to face Swansea City’s U21s in the Premier Development League. There were a few noticeable inclusions in the Young Robins’ squad, with duo Rob Atkinson and Ross McCrorie gaining vital minutes as they continue their recoveries from their respective injuries along with goalkeeper Stefan Bajic. The host’s went on to win 2-0 at the Swansea.com Stadium.

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The young City side were back in action again on Monday afternoon as they beat AFC Bournemouth’s U21s 5-0 at the High Performance Centre. Once again, McCrorie and Atkinson both featured as well as Harry Cornick, who is yet to make a Championship appearance this season.

The recent run-outs in the academy represents valuable minutes for the injured duo as they look to build-up match minutes ahead of their first-team returns. And the ability to utilise City’s U21's side to help first-team players regain fitness will be significant, according to Manning.

He said, “The academy is a huge part of the now and the future and what we want to do. Speaking about the 21’s but you look at some of the players out on loan, Jamie Knight-Lebel is doing terrifically well at Crewe and the ones who are also heading in that direction.

“When you look at it, we’ve got some real depth in the academy that I’m excited about in the near future. I’m sure they’ll be some pushing through, so the exposure for the 21s to play with the seniors and see what that’s like and then the same I think there’s a level of responsibility on the seniors to give back to the young ones as well.

“We work really closely here with the academy, which is important and the 21s is a terrific opportunity to reintegrate injured players into first-team football by building intensity and match minutes.

“It’s not just that, training the other way where we’ll regularly have 18s and 21’s training with us, which is a really important part in their process trying to establish themselves as a first-team player.”

After registering 46 minutes for City’s U21s on his return from a hamstring injury last week, McCrorie was again in action on Monday, where he was able to accumulate another first half of football under his belt.

Meanwhile, Atkinson survived the whole 90 minutes against the young Bournemouth outfit, building on his 79 minutes achieved against Swansea’s U21s last week as he continues his return to first-team action after nearly 20 months away.

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