Birmingham City vs Millwall: list of potential absentees

Chris Davies’ Birmingham City side returned to winning ways on Saturday, recording their fourth victory in five matches after an impressive performance against Lincoln City. The Blues finished the afternoon in second place following the final whistle at Sincil Bank, but they now sit sixth heading into the final round of fixtures before the international break.

Millwall travel to St Andrew’s in midweek hoping their emphatic victory over Derby County can help them rediscover the form that carried them to last season’s play-off semi-finals.

Alex Neil’s men have struggled to put consecutive victories together since winning their opening two matches of the campaign. Birmingham, meanwhile, will be determined to protect their unbeaten home record in the league this season.

With both teams having plenty to play for, Tuesday’s encounter promises to be an entertaining contest. However, several players are expected to be unavailable for the clash.

James Beadle

Chris Davies was forced to make a goalkeeping change at half-time during Birmingham’s victory over Lincoln on Saturday, with Ryan Allsop replacing James Beadle to make his first Championship appearance of the season.

The Brighton and Hove Albion loanee has shown considerable improvement during his second spell at Birmingham compared to last season. He demonstrated his quality with an important save before the interval at Sincil Bank, helping the Blues maintain their 1-0 advantage.

However, that proved to be his final contribution to the match, with Davies later revealing that the goalkeeper had taken a knock. Whether Beadle can recover in time for Tuesday’s meeting with Millwall remains uncertain.

Dael Fry

Dael Fry is another Birmingham player whose availability for the Millwall fixture is in doubt after missing Saturday’s win over Lincoln because of illness.

The 29-year-old has found opportunities limited in the Championship this season, with Phil Neumann and Christoph Klarer establishing themselves as Davies’ preferred centre-back pairing during the opening 13 matches.

Fry has managed just two minutes of league football this campaign, making his potential absence less significant to the manager’s immediate selection plans.

Paik Seung-ho

Paik Seung-ho has been absent from Birmingham’s recent run of fixtures after suffering an injury that forced him to withdraw from the South Korea squad during the previous international break.

The 29-year-old has also faced competition for places in midfield, with Jhon Solis and Tomoki Iwata among the options available to Davies.

Nevertheless, Paik’s eventual return would provide the Birmingham manager with another midfield option and create a welcome selection dilemma.

Marc Leonard

Millwall goalkeeper Lukas Jensen has endured a frustrating spell with injuries since arriving from Lincoln City in the summer of 2024.

The Danish shot-stopper missed the entirety of last season because of Achilles and quadriceps problems before suffering another setback early in the current campaign.

Despite featuring in just three matches this season, Jensen made a significant impression, saving all three penalties during Millwall’s EFL Cup shootout victory over Queens Park Rangers. He also recorded clean sheets in league matches against Bristol City and Norwich City.

Millwall supporters will be eager to see him return, while Alex Neil has indicated that the goalkeeper could be nearing a comeback around the international break.

Casper De Norre and Filip Marschall

Filip Marschall joined Millwall from Stevenage on deadline day as additional cover in goal, with the club keen to strengthen their options in case Jensen suffered another injury setback.

However, his time on the pitch has been limited. Marschall completed just three full matches before being forced off at half-time during Millwall’s meeting with Lincoln last month, raising further questions about the club’s goalkeeping availability ahead of the Birmingham clash.