Birmingham City have picked up ‘a couple of little niggles’ in the build-up to their season-defining final day clash with Norwich City.
Only a win will do for Blues at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park on Saturday when the promotion-chasing Canaries are in town. The club’s Championship status will only be secured if Blues win and a result elsewhere goes in their favour.
Interim boss Gary Rowett has welcomed back some key players in recent weeks but he has issues to contend with on the eve of the Norwich match. Rowett revealed that some players are carrying injuries and Tyler Roberts – who starred in the 3-0 win over Coventry City at St Andrew’s three weeks ago – was an unused substitute at Huddersfield Town due to an ankle problem.
“We’ve had a couple of little niggles in the week,” Rowett said in his pre-Norwich team news update. “I didn’t start Tyler last week because he’d had an ankle injury and missed a couple of days training.
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“I think he tried to get through the Rotherham game but I didn’t feel like he was anywhere near 100 percent so left him out of the starting line-up at Huddersfield. Of course someone like that, even though there’s still an injury there, probably comes back into contention for selection on Saturday.”
Rowett could be without Werder Bremen loanee Oliver Burke once again due to a hamstring injury. Burke tweaked his hamstring at Rotherham and didn’t feature in the draw with Huddersfield.
Alfie Chang is Blues’ only long-term absentee. The 21-year-old midfielder returned to light training outside earlier this week and could return in pre-season after a serious knee injury.
