FORMER Bristol City star Liam Rosenior has been handed a trial by the club that launched his career.

A free agent after his contract with Reading expired at the end of last season, the fast-raiding right-back is being lined-up as a potential replacement for Bradley Orr, who is expected to join Queens Park Rangers next week.

Rosenior, who left Ashton Gate to join Premier League Fulham in 2003, trained with City's first team squad at Failand yesterday and will feature in today's pre-season friendly against League Two Aldershot at the Recreation Ground (3pm).

City boss Steve Coppell will then hold talks with the 24-year-old regarding a possible return to City.

"It's a trial as such, although I know about Liam from Reading," explained Coppell, who took Rosenior from Fulham to the Madejski Stadium in August 2007.

"Liam believes that there are

some Premier League clubs looking at him and he needs to be playing games for fitness.

"We are looking for players, so it is a mutually beneficial arrangement."

Following months of speculation surrounding his future, Orr is expected to become a QPR player within the next week.

Rangers are finally ready to table a bid for the long- serving right-back and sources inside Ashton Gate suggest City are prepared to cash in on a player who has 12 months of his contract to run and is stalling on a new deal.

QPR boss Neil Warnock is expected to put his interest in Orr on a formal footing by making an official bid for the 27-year-old defender.

As revealed in the Post in May, Warnock is keen to add the former Newcastle United man to his squad. But an anticipated bid has been delayed by disagreements behind the scenes at Loftus Road.

Representatives of co-owners Lakshmi Mittal and Flavio Briatore have been wrangling over how best to spend money made available for transfers, in the process putting Warnock's recruitment plans on hold.

Those disagreements have been resolved and the London club is at last ready to move for Orr. Rangers are expected to offer City around £500,000 and tempt Orr with a significant pay increase.

Rosenior, who came through the youth ranks at City and helped the Robins lift the LDV Vans Trophy in 2003, boasts Premier League experience with Fulham and Reading and would be an ideal replacement should Orr leave.

He will be deployed at right-back against Aldershot and is expected to play 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, on-trial left- back Tom Williams will be given an opportunity to impress in today's game. The former Peterborough and Birmingham City defender, who made a brief substitute appearance in the midweek friendly at Torquay United, will start instead of Jamie McAllister.

Coppell said: "Jamie McAllister has had a few knocks and is still not quite at what he would consider to be his full fitness.

"We will probably leave him out at the weekend and give Tom a go. In fact, Tom will probably start at Aldershot."

City (from): Gerken, Henderson, Rosenior, Nyatanga, T Williams, Orr, Edwards, Ball, Fontaine, McAllister, Cisse, Skuse, Elliott, Campbell-Ryce, Johson, G Williams, Sproule, Adomah, Clarkson, Jackson, Akinde.