Major Birmingham City boost confirmed ahead of Swansea showdown

Birmingham City’s preparations for their important Championship meeting with Swansea City have received a welcome boost, with Paik Seung-ho returning to full training at the club’s EPIC training ground.

The Blues head into the weekend sitting third in the Championship standings after winning four of their previous five league fixtures. Swansea, meanwhile, are just two positions behind them, separated only by goal difference, setting up an intriguing contest at St. Andrew’s before the international break.

Chris Davies has several options available to him, although injuries have recently affected his squad. James Beadle and August Priske were both unavailable for the recent meeting with Millwall after being left out of the matchday squad.

Paik’s return will be particularly encouraging news for the Birmingham manager. The South Korean midfielder has been an important figure since arriving from Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in January 2024, several months before Davies took charge at St. Andrew’s.

However, the midfielder has endured a difficult 2026, with recurring injury problems preventing him from making the contribution he would have wanted during Birmingham’s impressive start to the current campaign.

Birmingham City receive major Paik Seung-ho boost before Swansea showdown

The 30-cap South Korea international has made 10 appearances across all competitions this season, but his involvement in the Championship has been relatively limited, with only four of his eight league appearances coming as a starter.

His most recent appearance was a brief seven-minute substitute outing in Birmingham’s 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough before the extended international break earlier in the season.

Paik has subsequently missed Birmingham’s last seven Championship matches after the South Korean Football Association confirmed that he had been sent back to the West Midlands for what it described as “protection”.

There had already been encouraging signs regarding his recovery, with Davies suggesting earlier this week that the midfielder could feature in some capacity.

Those hopes have now received a further lift, with pictures emerging of the 29-year-old taking part in full training alongside his Birmingham teammates.

His return comes at an important moment for the Blues, who will be looking to strengthen their position near the top of the Championship table when they welcome Swansea to St. Andrew’s this weekend.