BRISTOL City boss Derek McInnes will seek to sign a defender when the loan window reopens on Wednesday.

The Robins are short of centre-backs and the manager has made recruiting a tall, first-ball-winning defender a priority ahead of Saturday's npower Championship game at Hull City.

Louis Carey and Lewin Nyatanga missed Saturday's 3-0 home defeat to Leeds United through injury and are not guaranteed to be fit for the trip to Hull, while James Wilson will miss the game through suspension after being sent off at Ashton Gate at the weekend.

McInnes has been in the market for at least one defender for a number of weeks and he said: "I'm looking to do some business when the window reopens.

"We were looking to bring in a defender before the deadline last week and were unable to do so. It is more paramount that we get one in when the loan window reopens on Wednesday.

"Louis Carey and Lewin Nyatanga are injured and we will be without James Wilson at Hull next week.

"We've had to fast-track Liam Fontaine back into the team and we took a bit of a gamble on him. We're short of centre-halves and it is something we have to address.

"Signing a defender was already a priority, now it is more so. There is a real urgency to get someone in this week and, hopefully, we will get some business done.

"I'm looking to get one or two in during the loan window, because I feel we need strengthening in a couple of areas."

City were the better side against Leeds until Wilson saw red for a professional foul on Leeds striker Ross McCormack on Saturday. When winger Yannick Bolasie was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 58th minute, the game was effectively over as a contest.

Already leading thanks to a 41st-minute strike from Robert Snodgrass, managerless Leeds added two late goals through McCormack and Luciano Becchio to give caretaker boss Neil Redfearn the perfect start.

Although McInnes felt Bolasie was unlucky to be sent off, he described his team as "naïve" and refused to blame referee James Linnington for his side's defeat.

He said: "Unfortunately, circumstances contrived against us. But that was only part of it and we need to look at ourselves. We played a big part in our own downfall and were unable to capitalise on our good play in the first half.

"There was a bit of naivety about us in both situations. James Wilson has got himself in a poor position and has made the referee make a decision.

"Having seen it again, James has not touched the ball, he is the last man and the referee has made the right decision.

"In the case of Bolasie, I feel totally different. I've watched both incidents again and the Leeds player has made the most of both situations.

"There has been no contact made for the first yellow card and their boy has rolled over. The second one is just a coming together and there is absolutely no malice in it. I think it was very tough on Yannick. The referee got the first red right, but not the second one. The second sending off killed it as a contest."

City controlled the game up until the first sending off and the opening goal came against the run of play.

"We started brightly and it was clear we were the better side up until the first sending off," said McInnes. "Our goalkeeper had not had anything to do up until that point.

"Although we were on the front foot and looked the more likely team, I felt we could have done more with the possession we had.

"I felt we were not quite dominant enough and we could have asked more questions of Leeds.

"But the red cards changed everything. Leeds have some good players and, once were down to nine men, we started to see more of those players, as you would expect."