Barnsley’s hopes of becoming only the sixth team to take anything from Ashton Gate this season have been dealt a severe blow with the news in-form goalkeeper Adam Davies is OUT until at least mid April after tearing his groin in training.
The 22 year old has been in the form of his life, keeping six clean sheets in his past eight appearances, which has helped The Reds to six wins and two draws.
However the former Sheffield Wednesday youngster has suffered an abductor tear which has forced Barnsley to go back to Hillsborough for another unknown rookie in 19-year-old Joe Wildsmith on loan until the 25th April.
Like Davies, Wildsmith arrives at Oakwell having not featured in the first team at S6 but did have a two game loan spell at Alfreton in April last year.
Now he is set to be thrown straight into the fire and make his full Football League debut at the home of the runaway League One leaders this weekend.
Manager Lee Johnson has had to turn to Wildsmith as Barnsley’s other two goalkeepers, Ross Turnbull and Christian Dibble are injured and on international duty respectively.
Johnson told the club’s official website:
"It's one of those where Davies could have probably played. If it was a Cup Final - the last game of the season - we would have probably taped him up and sent him out there. But he has got a tear.
"It could just be one kick and it turns a minor one into a major one.
"He's done great and probably surprised people, inside and outside the club, with how well he's done.
“Now he's got that confidence. But if he's playing with the risk of a serious injury, I'm not sure that would have been the correct duty of care from ourselves."