Twenty-four first-team players reported for the opening day of pre-season at Birmingham City's training base on Monday, as Chris Davies welcomed his squad back for a six-week preparation period before their competitive season opener against Swansea City in the Carabao Cup on the weekend of August 7-9.
Pre-season schedule and Portugal camp
The squad will spend the first week at their Henley-in-Arden facility before traveling to Portugal for a six-day training camp in the Algarve. Blues will kick off their pre-season friendlies against League One side Huddersfield Town in Albufeira a week on Friday.
Player attendance and absentees
Every senior player except Paik Seung-ho reported back on Monday morning. The South Korean midfielder was granted extra time off due to his participation in the World Cup. Among those present were players with uncertain futures, including Jack Robinson and Marvin Ducksch, who recently claimed to be in talks over an exit. Returning loanees Taylor Gardner-Hickman, Marc Leonard, and Scott Wright also attended, though Leonard will not train outdoors during pre-season as he recovers from a ruptured Achilles sustained while on loan at Hearts. Encouragingly, Lee Buchanan joined his teammates after an injury-ravaged two years; he has played only four games since Davies took charge in summer 2024.
Youngsters spotted in training
Eagle-eyed supporters noticed two young players in the brief video Blues released on YouTube: Briar Bateman, 19, who has been involved in Davies' first two pre-season campaigns, and Riquelme Thompson-Jones, a right-back who turns 18 next month and is entering his first year as a professional.
Undefeated branding speculation
Rumours persist about whether Blues' partnership with Undefeated will continue next season. The brand's logo appeared in the club's video, but several players later posted pictures on social media with training wear that excluded Undefeated branding.
Training intensity ramp-up
The first two days typically focus on testing, but Davies and his coaching staff—still consisting of Ben Petty, Tom Huddlestone, and Jonathan Grounds—conducted outdoor drills. Training intensity will increase toward the end of the week and further in Portugal.
