Birmingham City handed triple injury boost as Chris Davies confirms international setback

Birmingham City have received a welcome boost ahead of their trip to West Bromwich Albion, with Chris Davies confirming that three players are ready to strengthen his squad after the international break.

Max Bird, Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Demarai Gray are all back in contention, offering Blues some much-needed options after dealing with a depleted squad at various points this season.

The midfield has been a particular concern, but the recent break has given Bird and Gardner-Hickman valuable time to return to training following their respective injury problems.

Neither player featured in Birmingham’s behind-closed-doors friendly against Coventry City last weekend, as they were not considered ready for action. However, both have since made further progress and could be included on the bench for the upcoming games against West Brom, Preston North End and Queens Park Rangers.

Davies confirmed that the pair had completed several positive training sessions but warned that starting a match immediately would probably be too much for them.

“Taylor had been out for a fair bit longer than Max with that, but they’re both looking good and they’re in contention,” the Birmingham boss explained.

Gray is also working his way back to full fitness and is available for selection as he builds up his match readiness.

However, there is a setback for Blues ahead of the West Brom clash, with Paik Seung-ho facing a likely spell on the sidelines.

Davies revealed that the midfielder has been carrying a knock for some time, making him the main injury concern as Birmingham prepare for their return to Championship action.

“Paik has picked up a bit of a knock that he’s been carrying for a little while, so he’s the only one that is looking like he will be missing a few games,” Davies said.

The manager was nevertheless encouraged by the condition of the rest of his squad, including those who travelled away on international duty.

James Beadle, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Jhon Solis, Liam Millar and August Priske have all returned without any major fitness concerns, giving Davies further reasons to be optimistic.

Beadle and Osayi-Samuel did not feature for their respective countries during the latest international window, while Denmark Under-21s carefully managed Priske’s workload.

Davies explained that there had been discussions with Denmark’s coaching staff about Priske’s minutes, adding that the forward had returned feeling fresh.

The Birmingham manager was particularly pleased that his international players had avoided a demanding run of fixtures that could have left them fatigued.

With three players pushing to return and most of the squad in good shape, Blues can head into the West Brom fixture with renewed confidence. Paik’s absence is an unwanted blow, but the return of Bird, Gardner-Hickman and Gray gives Davies a timely boost as Birmingham look to build momentum after the break.