Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has delivered a significant injury setback, confirming defender Alex Cochrane will be missing from action for several months rather than weeks.
Defensive Crisis Deepens for Blues
The left-back, who had been a near ever-present for Davies over the previous 18 months, has missed the last three matches due to an ankle problem. His extended absence leaves the squad stretched thin, particularly in defence. With Cochrane now facing a long-term spell on the sidelines, new signing Kai Wagner is set to be the unchallenged option on the left until fellow full-back Lee Buchanan returns to fitness. Buchanan has only recently begun light training after over a year out with a serious knee injury.
Injury List Grows Ahead of Sheffield Wednesday Trip
Speaking ahead of Tuesday night's Championship fixture against Sheffield Wednesday, Davies painted a bleak picture of his available options. "I don't think there's anything imminent," the manager stated. He confirmed that Jack Robinson, Demarai Gray, and Ethan Laird are all out with short-term issues, compounding the team's selection headache.
Davies elaborated on the specific situations, saying, "Jack has picked up a knock that's going to keep him out for a little bit. Demarai is still out, Ethan is out, Alex is a bit of a longer-term one. He is going to be out for a few months, sadly. There's no one that will be back soon."
Transfer Push and Squad Updates
The mounting injury crisis has forced the club's hierarchy to try and accelerate transfer deals to bolster the threadbare squad. One potential bright spot is new signing Jhon Solis, who could come into contention if his international clearance arrives in time for the midweek match.
There is also an expected return for Bright Osayi-Samuel, who is due back from the Africa Cup of Nations after helping Nigeria secure a third-place finish. However, his availability may be in question after he was substituted early during Nigeria's third-place play-off victory against Egypt.
With the team "down to the bare bones," as described by the manager, Birmingham City face a challenging period, needing to navigate a packed Championship schedule while hoping for a swift return to fitness for several key players.
