Bristol City star Nicky Maynard will be out of action for at least two weeks.

Forced to limp out of Saturday's home game against Coventry after suffering a dead leg, the 11-goal top scorer could miss as many as four games.

And new signing Jamal Campbell-Ryce, injured during the warm-up at Ashton Gate on Saturday, will also be sidelined for at least the next week.

All of which presents City manager Gary Johnson with an unwanted headache ahead of tonight's Championship clash at Watford.

Under pressure to deliver a victory following a run of disappointing results, Johnson must now make do without his most effective goal-scorer. But Maynard's absence provides David Clarkson with an opportunity to impress and the Scot, who netted a late equaliser to rescue his side at the weekend, is in line to start for the first time since mid-December.

And Johnson may decide to make further changes in a bid to rediscover a winning formula. Midfielder Cole Skuse has recovered from a stomach strain and is expected to return to the starting line-up, while Lee Johnson and Ivan Sproule are also pushing for a recall.

But the loss of Maynard to injury represents a blow to a team which has found goals in short supply since Preston were beaten 4-2 at Ashton Gate on January 16.

Johnson said: "Nicky will definitely miss the game at Watford and he could be out for some time.

"He has a large haematoma in his thigh and it usually takes a couple of weeks for something like that to clear up. It's going to be a matter of how many games he misses. Jamal still has a bit of calf strain and it could take him a week to get over that, so we'll definitely be without him and Nicky at Watford.

"But it's a chance for others to come in and show what they are made of and this might just be David Clarkson's time.

"He's had to wait patiently, but he was in the right place at the right time to score on Saturday and this might just be the week when we say to him 'go on, it's your turn.'"

The injuries mean City are unlikely to send any more players out on loan when the market reopens today.

Johnson said: "It's probably not the right time to loan anyone with all the injuries we have. We're a bit short on numbers and we need to keep everybody around at the moment."

City's resources will be further stretched by the injury which is now expected to keep Jamie McCombe on the sidelines for the rest of the season.

The big central defender has not featured in City's first team since Sheffield United visited Ashton Gate on November 28. And he has now been told to rest completely after undergoing a hospital scan and probe.

"Although the specialist says there is no obvious structural damage to the knee, Jamie feels there is still a problem with it," explained Bristol City boss Johnson. "He's going to need time to get over it and that probably means the rest of the season."