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Birmingham City are back in FA Cup action this weekend as they eye a place in the fifth round
Birmingham City drew 0-0 at home against West Brom on Tuesday night in the Championship. They weren’t able to find the net against the Baggies and were forced to settle for a frustrating point. The Blues are sat in 10th place in the table after 32 fixtures.
Chris Davies’ side are one point off the play-offs behind Wrexham. Their attention switches to the FA Cup this weekend as they prepare to play Leeds United. Here is a look at the latest injury news regarding the two teams...
Leeds United injury news ahead of Birmingham City trip
Starting with the visitors Leeds, the Premier League side were forced to leave out key striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin against Chelsea last time out. They drew 2-2 at Stamford Bridge and fought back from 2-0 down after goals by Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer. The Whites are now six points above the drop zone.
Calvert-Lewin, 28, will need to be assessed over the coming days. The ex-Sheffield United and Everton man has scored 10 goals in 25 games this season. His boss Daniel Farke said earlier this week: “Dominic was struggling a little bit with illness, but I hope it is not too bad, and I hope he is available.”
Leeds are without summer signing Anton Stach due to a hip injury. He missed out against Chelsea and isn’t expected back against Birmingham. The midfielder is poised to be available for their next league fixture against Aston Villa.
The Whites’ defender Pascal Struijk is also sidelined. Farke has shared this update on his condition: “Bad news is Pascal. He will definitely miss this game. He has some problems after the [Forest] game with his hip flexor. And the turnaround is a bit too quick, so he will definitely miss this game.”
Birmingham City injury latest ahead of Leeds United test
Birmingham pair Phil Neumann and Demarai Gray were both doubts against West Brom in their last outing. However, they were both able to feature in the end against the Baggies which was a boost. It remains to be seen at this stage whether Davies will make changes against Leeds or a play a full strength team.
The Blues remain without left-back Alex Cochrane due to an ankle problem. He isn’t expected back until around April time which isn’t ideal. Nevertheless, January addition Kai Wagner has made a positive impression since his switch from Philadelphia Union and has adapted well to life in England so far.
Ethan Laird is also set to miss out with his hamstring issue. He has endured a frustrating campaign so far and hasn’t been able to keep fit. The full-back isn’t believed to be too far away from playing again though.
Centre-back Jack Robinson is expected back in training soom amid his hamstring worries. The match against Leeds is likely to come too soon for him though. He joined last year from Sheffield United to add more competition and depth to Davies’ defensive department.
Out: Stach, Bijol, Cochrane, Laird, Robinson
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