Birmingham City are set to carry out further fitness assessments on midfielder Paik Seung-ho after he sustained a knock during a training session. The South Korean international rejoined the club’s pre-season preparations a couple of weeks ago, having been granted a break to recover following his World Cup involvement.
Despite his return, Paik has yet to partake in any of the warm-up matches, with hopes that he would be available for the high-profile friendly against Barcelona on Friday evening. However, he was among the senior players who watched the 3-2 penalty shoot-out victory from the stands, alongside Demarai Gray and Marvin Ducksch, both of whom were also absent.
Manager Chris Davies provided an update on their fitness status, noting that Gray, who has had a strong pre-season so far, is not a significant concern. In contrast, Paik’s condition requires closer monitoring.
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“Dimmy’s more of a precaution. He was not far off tonight, but we just thought we’d be cautious with the little knock that he’s got. So Dimmy’s not far away at all,” said Davies.
“Paik picked up a knock that we need to check next week; the severity of it will be clearer in a few days. Then, Marvin Ducksch is on his way back from a niggle basically, so he’s going to be back in a week or two.”
Ethan Laird marked his first appearance of the summer as a second-half substitute for Bright Osayi-Samuel, successfully converting a penalty during the shoot-out, contributing to Blues’ overall victory.
With their pre-season campaign now complete, boasting five wins and a draw, Birmingham City will next face Swansea City in the League Cup on Saturday, 8 August. The club’s dedicated reporting team, including Alex Dicken and Brian Dick, continue to provide comprehensive coverage of the team’s progress. Fans can access the latest updates through various platforms, including the BirminghamLive newsletter, WhatsApp alerts, the BirminghamLive app, and the weekly “Keep Right On” podcast, available on all major streaming services.