Chris Davies expects Birmingham City to be missing six players when they travel to Rotherham United today (3pm kick-off).
The Blues face one of the pre-season promotion favourites at the New York Stadium, but will be without crucial captain Krystian Bielik. Bielik is suspended after receiving a red card late in the Blues’ 3-1 victory over Wrexham on Monday.
Dion Sanderson isn’t likely to be ready to replace Bielik after only completing minimal training this week. Sanderson has been sidelined with a foot injury for the previous month. Blues manager Davies said: “He has just started light training, so I doubt he will be available.”
Lee Buchanan is getting closer to returning from a calf injury that has kept him out for two months. “He’s a little bit further ahead,” Davies noted. “He’s had a little more training time and everything. He fought hard to recover from his injuries in a timely manner, and it’s great to have him back in the action.”
Dion Sanderson
Injury: Foot
Sanderson was a surprising absence at Leyton Orient, having missed the win over Wycombe owing to suspension. Davies stated that the issue is with his foot. It is not a fracture or anything like that; it is simply something with his foot that requires treatment and time to heal.”
Ethan Laird
Injury: Ankle
The right-back is out until at least next month due to an ankle injury. The news comes as a disappointment to Laird, who survived a full preseason and started the Blues’ first six games under Davies. Laird has removed his protective boot and begun weight-bearing workouts in the gym at the Blues’ training facility.
Luke Harris
Injury: Ankle
Fulham loanee Harris was removed against Wigan due to a similar condition to Laird, and as a result, he did not represent Wales under-21s during the international break. The 19-year-old has not yet removed his protective footwear.
Lee Buchanan
Injury: Calf
Left-back Buchanan suffered a calf injury in pre-season, allowing Alex Cochrane to take his position in the XI. Buchanan is scheduled to return by the end of this month.
Davies said, “It’s a nagging calf problem, but he’s making progress, and I’m genuinely looking forward to having him back.
“I felt like he had a couple of niggles in pre-season, I didn’t get the chance to have a really good look at him so I’m looking forward to him being fit.”
Alfie Chang
Injury: Knee
Chang is being allowed time to regain fitness after missing more than a year due to a cruciate knee ligament injury. The 21-year-old midfielder is still a regular in the treatment room at the Blues’ training facility, and his return date has yet to be determined. Chang has been left out of the Blues’ squad, hence he is temporarily ineligible for League One matches.
Davies recently stated: “He’s nearing the conclusion of his rehabilitation. He’s at the point where things are moving in the right direction, but I believe he still has a little distance to go before he really ramps up his training.”
