Chris Davies has been pleased by the return of many Birmingham City players from injury in recent weeks.
The Blues’ medical room is emptying, and skipper Krystian Bielik was the latest player to return to action against Northampton Town. Bielik replaced Ben Davies in the starting lineup after the Rangers loanee became sick in the lead-up.
With Bielik’s comeback, the Blues are close to having a completely healthy roster. Lee Buchanan is working his way back to fitness after missing three and a half months due to calf concerns, and he could return after the international break.
The club’s only confirmed injured players right now are wingers Emil Hansson and Scott Wright. Long-term absentee Alfie Chang is now unavailable for League One fixtures after not being nominated to the squad submitted at the end of the summer transfer window.
Midfielder Luke Harris is in jeopardy for this weekend’s game against Shrewsbury Town after having to withdraw from Wales’ training due to sickness. A brief message on Wales’ official X account read: “Luke Harris has been forced to withdraw from the upcoming matches due to illness.”
Below is a full rundown of the issues…
Lee Buchanan
Injury: Calf
Left-back Buchanan was dogged by a calf injury in pre-season and it’s allowed Alex Cochrane to take his place in the XI. Buchanan picked up a separate calf issue on his return to training earlier this season but now, three months into the campaign, appears to be on on the verge of a return.
What has Davies said? “He’s had few setbacks from a few injuries, he’s been out for a long while, so I think the thing with Lee is that he needs to build a base of fitness to really allow him to cope with the demands of training and games.”
Emil Hansson
Injury: Muscle
Hansson pulled up 10 minutes into the second half of Blues’ win at Lincoln on October 19 but he recovered swiftly to start against Bolton three days later. The Swedish winger had to be replaced 20 minutes into Blues’ 2-0 win over Bolton. Davies has ruled Hansson out until after the international break.
Scott Wright
Injury: Unspecified
Wright suffered an injury in training on the eve of Blues’ trip to Lincoln and has now missed six games as a result. The Scottish winger’s impact off the bench has been missed.
What has Davies said? “Scott and Emil are both at very similar stages with their injuries, so we won’t see them before the international break.”
Alfie Chang
Injury: Knee
The 22-year-old is being given time to rebuild his fitness after more than a year on the sidelines with a cruciate knee ligament injury. Chang has been omitted from Blues’ squad meaning he isn’t currently eligible for League One fixtures but he could be handed some minutes for the under-21s before January.
What has Davies said? “Because he was out for 14 months it was different to a lot of the injuries we talk about, it’s something that takes time. I think he’s done a good block of training now for a month or so, the next step is bigger spaced areas and maybe some exposure to under-21s football. It’s a longer road for Alfie but he’s done very well so far and worked so hard to come back from his injury.”
