Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has revealed ongoing concerns over winger Patrick Roberts’ injury, which has now forced the 29-year-old to miss two matches this week. Roberts was absent from the squad during Saturday’s 2-1 victory at Derby County and had also missed Wednesday’s defeat to Norwich City.
The injury trouble began during the previous week’s draw against Wolves, after which Roberts attempted to travel with the team to Norwich. Despite his presence, he was not considered fit enough to even take a place on the bench. The hope was that additional rest would improve his condition sufficiently to participate in the fixture at Pride Park, but unfortunately, this was not the case.
Commenting after the Derby win, Davies indicated that Roberts’ injury was proving persistent. “I think Patrick’s injury is lingering on a bit. I don’t know if he’s going to be available for next weekend. He’s got more checks to go,” he stated. “He is getting a little bit better but it’s still too soon and that’s caused the others to have to really put a shift in out there.”
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Roberts is currently among four Birmingham City players unable to feature, alongside Demarai Gray, Max Bird and Taylor Gardner-Hickman. Meanwhile, Jhon Solis made a notable return to the squad against Derby, anchoring the midfield for an hour before being replaced by eventual match-winner Paik Seung-ho.
The ongoing injuries among key players present a challenge for Birmingham City as they seek to maintain their campaign momentum, with fitness updates awaited in the coming days.