It’s a 200 mile trip this Saturday for Whites fans, as Leeds United head to Ashton Gate for the first time since September 1997.

Team news

After a week of international football, Simon Grayson says he will need to assess the players fitness levels before deciding on his starting line-up. He has however, already confirmed that the on-loan Aston Villa right-back Lichaj will go straight into the team to replace the injured Paul Connolly.

The big question is whether Grayson will decide to stick with the 4-4-2 formation that saw us keep a clean sheet to win 1-0 against Coventry, or revert back to the more familiar 4-5-1.

For Neil Kilkenny and Davide Somma, their place in the team will most likely be decided by which formation Simon Grayson chooses to go for. If the gaffer decides to stick with 4-4-2, Neil Kilkenny may have to make do with a place on the bench. If the 4-5-1 is chosen, then Davide Somma will most probably be there instead.

Bristol City

Bristol currently sit 18th in the Championship, 8 points clear of the relegation zone. In their last six games, Bristol have managed just one win and have accumulated only five points.

The big news for our opposition this week is that Nicky Maynard could make a return after surgery on his knee. The 24-year-old has proven himself to be a prolific goalscorer, notching 21 goals in 2009/10.

Brett Pitman is another man to look out for in the Bristol line-up. After helping Bournemouth gain promotion from League Two with 28 goals during the 2009-10 campaign, Bristol snapped him up in August for a fee believed to be in the region of £1,000,000. So far this campaign, he leads the scoring charts for Bristol with nine.

Head-to-head

Unsurprisingly (considering relative league positions over the years), Leeds United have been the more successful team in previous meetings.

LEEDS WINS DRAWS BRISTOL C WINS
League 10 6 5
League Cup 2 0 1
FA Cup 1 1 1
Total 13 7 7

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Our last meeting, back in November, saw Luciano Becchio score a 17 minute hattrick to give Leeds United a 3-1 win.

However, the head-to-head stats disguise Leeds’ struggles at Ashton Park where Bristol City haven’t lost to the Whites in our last six visits. The last time Leeds United came away from Bristol with all three points was September 1955.

Pub Watch

I have it on good authority that the pubs close to the ground aren’t very welcoming of away fans. Travelling fans are advised to stick to the city centre, which is just 20-25 minutes away from the ground (on foot).

Pointless Trivia

Jenson Button and renowned graffiti artist, Banksy are both Bristol City fans. Reports of a Banksy designed F1 car are as yet, unconfirmed.