Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has made it clear that Patrick Roberts remains an important player in his plans despite the winger’s recent absence from the starting line-up. Roberts, who was a regular fixture in the side for much of last season, secured a permanent move from Sunderland in January but has recently fallen behind Carlos Vicente in the squad hierarchy.
Davies has been integrating Vicente into Championship football, which saw Roberts finishing last season as an unused substitute in the final five matches. This season, Roberts has yet to feature in Birmingham’s two opening games, with right-back Ethan Laird being preferred to close out games on the wing when Vicente’s playing time has ended.
Nonetheless, Roberts, who scored five goals and provided five assists across all competitions last season, remains highly valued by Davies. Speaking on Roberts' place in the squad, Davies said: “Yes, absolutely. I’ve got a good relationship with Patrick; we go back a long way to the Celtic days. I know him really well.
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“There have been situations where I’ve opted for Ethan to close games, and he’s done a great job, but Patrick is a fantastic player and was instrumental for us early last season. He’s definitely part of the plans.
“With the number of games coming up, there will be plenty of opportunities for him to get game time.”
Following Roberts' benching for the game against Sheffield United, reports emerged that former Birmingham manager Tony Mowbray expressed interest in signing him for Blackburn Rovers-a club where Roberts previously worked under Mowbray. While Blackburn’s interest is understood to be genuine, Birmingham City prefer to retain the 29-year-old.
Davies added: “We’ve had good dialogue. I’ve spoken to Patrick, and though he wants to play-as all players do-he understands the situation and knows what I think of him.
“He loves being here and being a Birmingham City player. My challenge, like with all players, is to give them their opportunities on the pitch.
“I see Patrick as a valued squad member who will definitely get more game time as the season progresses; it just wasn’t quite the right moment in recent games.”