Chris Hogg sends Mbappe and Haaland hint to Bristol City's Fally Mayulu and Sinclair Armstrong

Bristol City assistant head coach Chris Hogg has offered his encouragement to young strikers Fally Mayulu and Sinclair Armstrong ahead of the Robins’ clash with Preston North End this weekend.

Summer additions Mayulu (22) and Armstrong (21) have both spent the past three games on the bench, with the duo each having two goals to their name this campaign.

The latter’s last start came in the Severnside Derby draw against Cardiff City after a run of starts early in the season, whereas the former’s only time beginning a match came against Blackburn eight games ago where he was swapped at half time for teammate Sinclair.

Hogg has been empathetic, though, understanding that it’s hard for such youthful players to be at their absolute peak every week, essentially urging the two fresh-faced forwards not to compare themselves to “unique” youngsters in Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.

“We’ve got some young players in the group and…they’re not going to be at their maximum every day and every game,” Hogg put across in his press conference previewing the Preston game on Saturday.

“It’s human nature. It’s very hard for a young player to be a nine out of 10 every day and every week. If they were, they wouldn’t be here…they’d be at the upper echelons of the game. You look at the likes of Haaland and Mbappe and these young people who’ve come through and have hit these really high levels straight away, they’re quite unique players.

“For us, it’s continuing to work with Fally, the same with Sinclair.”

Starting with the 2-0 win over Middlesbrough straight after the international break, Nahki Wells has been the focal point for City.

The 34-year-old bagged a brace against Stoke two games ago and has shown his quality and higher experience levels in recent times which have assisted in the continuation of the Reds’ impressive unbeaten run.

Wells has been at the club since 2020, moving from Burnley after loan spells at Queens Park Rangers, the club which Armstrong transferred to City from in the summer.

With the extra 12 and 13 years the Bermudian has on Mayulu and Armstrong respectively, his influence off the pitch is just as valuable on it in helping assist his young teammates.

“We’ve got really good experience with Nahki in that area where he’s been there, done it, and he’s a big help behind the scenes in terms of trying to develop these players as well,” revealed Hogg.

“It’s about consistently working with them. There will be ups and downs for them, but all the strikers have shown their qualities already at times. It’s just trying to get that consistency and that basis in their performances which gets them in the team and keeps them in there.”

Frenchman Mayulu and Irishman Armstrong both appeared off the bench in City’s goalless draw with Leeds last weekend, the former managing 12 minutes and the latter achieving half an hour, but were unable to make an impact against the league’s join-fourth best defence.

Fellow young player Elijah Morrison was also introduced, at the same time as Mayulu, and provided a lively pair of legs down the left-hand side for the Robins.

With City’s injury troubles on that side of the pitch, the boy from Bedminster has been included on the bench for the last three games and was an instant positive presence, marking his territory with a smooth tackle high up the pitch and almost setting Armstrong away had the referee not questionably brought it back for a foul and issued the 18-year-old a booking.

“He’s not done himself any harm in terms of coming on and having a real positive impact,” Hogg assessed of the City academy product.

“I was chuckling the other day because he came on and made a really good tackle and got a booking for it and I told him, ‘don’t you stop tackling just because you got booked for that one’.

“We’ve got to keep that with him in terms of his out of possession, and him getting better in his out of possession play, but I thought he did really well against Leeds. It’s quite a big game for him to come on to so he’s definitely done himself no harm.”

With the injury to makeshift left back Ross McCrorie which was suffered during the Leeds game, this could be a chance for the youngster to make his mark.

“He’s trained well this morning,” revealed Hogg.

“So, we’ll have to see what the weeks bring over the next course of the season.”