Wycombe Wanderers’ promotion hopes have taken a blow, after Bristol City head coach Gerhard Struber recalled Sam Bell and vowed to assess his futureover the coming months.

Bell returned to Ashton Gate on New Year’s Day and was involved almost immediately as City opened 2026 with a commanding 5-0 Championship victory over Portsmouth. The 23-year-old was introduced early in the second half and provided the assist for Sinclair Armstrong’s first goal after forcing an error deep in the visiting defence.

The decision to bring Bell back was confirmed only hours before kick-off, prompting debate among supporters who were hoping for reinforcements elsewhere in attack. However, Struber explained that injuries within the squad, combined with Bell’s progress in League One, made the recall a logical step.

“We had, of course, the topic,” Struber told local media. “Harry Cornick was out with injury. Right now, he was, for a very short time, out with illness.

“Fally is out maybe for a longer term, and we saw the development from Sam Bell at Wycombe. We are really happy with how he did it there, and this is our player, so we use the chance to bring him back right now.”

Bell joined Wycombe on deadline day in August and enjoyed a productive spell in Buckinghamshire, scoring six goals in League One and becoming a regular starter at Adams Park. His return to Bristol City comes during the final months of his current contract, a factor that adds further significance to the club’s plans.

Struber believes the academy graduate still has areas to improve but is keen to work closely with him during the second half of the season.

“We know his strengths. We know also in which direction we have to develop him so that he can be a player for us to bring different things on the table so that we can win games,” he said. “We have to work with him, but he’s a really good guy, a really good character, and of course, he has talent.

“We want to work with him the next few months here, and then we will see how everything will go.”

Sam Bell Instant Hit

Bell’s impact against Portsmouth underlined that potential. Pressing aggressively, he capitalised on a loose back pass, rounded goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid, and squared for Armstrong to convert, extending City’s advantage shortly after the interval.

On a day when Bristol City moved to within a point of the Championship play-off places, the recall appeared justified, offering Struber another attacking option as the Robins look to build momentum through the second half of the campaign.

That doesn’t help the Chairboys, who will now have to replace a key figure for them from their recent resurgence. After a horror start to the season, which saw Mike Dodds sacked and Michael Duff appointed, they’ve become a part of the middle pack in League One.

They’re currently 13th, but have only won one of their last nine matches in all competitions.