Bristol City pre‑season: fitness update and Newport County friendly

Bristol City manager Michael Skubala said defender Luke McNally remains a long way from full fitness after his ACL injury, despite recent training sessions in the club's Spanish camp. The manager also noted the gradual progress of other squad members such as Yu Hirakawa and Jed Wallace, stressing that return dates cannot be set.

The Robins continued their pre‑season programme with a behind‑closed‑doors friendly against Newport County at their High Performance Centre. The match followed a defeat to Stockport County that closed the warm‑weather camp. New signing Lorent Tolaj, a 24‑year‑old forward from Plymouth Argyle who has signed a four‑year deal, was named on the bench for the game.

The club is using these fixtures to build fitness and integrate new players ahead of the upcoming season.