Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has delivered a mixed bag of team news ahead of Saturday's Championship fixture against Swansea City, with a key defender facing a late fitness test and the club's top scorer potentially returning.
Defensive Blow as Robinson Suffers Knock
Jack Robinson is a major doubt for the trip to South Wales after picking up an injury during last week's FA Cup victory at Cambridge United. The experienced centre-back had been in impressive form, establishing himself as Christoph Klarer's preferred partner in defence ahead of Phil Neumann.
Davies confirmed the setback, stating: "He’s picked up a little bit of a knock and is a doubt for this match, which is a shame because he’s been doing pretty well recently and has just got going. That’s something we could have to contend with." This likely opens the door for Neumann to return to the starting lineup at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Boost as Stansfield Nears Return
In more positive news, top scorer Jay Stansfield is in contention to feature after missing the Cambridge match. The striker has been managing a problem since the Christmas period but is now showing significant improvement.
"He’s getting better, definitely, so there’s a good chance he could be back involved," Davies said. "We will see how the next day or so goes." His potential return would provide a welcome attacking boost for Blues, whose squad has been weakened by the recent departures of Keshi Anderson and Lyndon Dykes.
Wright Returns but Squad Remains Stretched
Scott Wright is available again after illness ruled him out of the FA Cup tie. Davies explained the winger's situation: "Scott was unwell but the pitch wouldn’t have been good considering his injury. He was unwell and has got back in training this week."
The manager cautioned, however, about expecting too much too soon: "He’s been out for a long time so we can’t put too much expectation on Scotty but he has been around it."
The squad remains without several key players. Bright Osayi-Samuel is still on Africa Cup of Nations duty and isn't due back until next week. Blues will also be missing Demarai Gray, Alex Cochrane, Ethan Laird, and Lee Buchanan once again for the clash on Saturday evening. No new signings are expected to be registered in time to bolster the bench for the Swansea match.
