Liam Manning drops Matty James contract hint as Bristol City captain is ruled out of Stoke clash
Matty James will miss Bristol City’s final match of the season against Stoke City due to minor surgery for a hernia, but head coach Liam Manning has suggested that the midfielder might continue with the club beyond this summer. James, the team captain, is among four first-team players whose contracts expire next month, and his absence from the upcoming match indicates that his last appearance for the club, unless circumstances change, was the 64 minutes he played in the victory over Rotherham United.
While a contract offer has been made to Joe Williams to extend his stay, there has been no mention of James, who joined the club three years ago. If Williams remains and with Max Bird joining from Derby County after his loan spell, along with Jason Knight and Taylor Gardner-Hickman, Bristol City will have four senior central midfielders for the next season, excluding others who play further forward or younger talents like Adam Murphy and Jed Meerholz. However, Manning has suggested that this number could increase to five, with ongoing discussions and meetings to decide James’ future.
