Birmingham City manager Chris Davies faces a selection dilemma for Saturday's Carabao Cup first-round tie against Swansea City, with the predicted starting XI potentially featuring an 'almighty shock' in the form of Kanya Fujimoto. The Japanese midfielder, who started only once last season and played just 141 minutes in total, could be handed a rare start due to Demarai Gray's fitness concerns.
Davies Cautious on Squad Strength
When asked if his squad is stronger than at the end of last season, Davies hesitated before responding: "I think it's close. We obviously do need to bring in a little bit more, everybody is well aware of that, to take us on so we can say, yes we are stronger than we were last year. That would be fair to say, but we haven't lost too many." He added, "We've kept the players here that have done well for us and there's still four weeks to go of the transfer window."
The Blues have made three signings this summer, with Dael Fry arriving to replace Jonathan Panzo, Luis Vazquez offering a different attacking profile to Kyogo Furuhashi, and Kristoffer Lund providing competition at left-back. However, none of these new arrivals are expected to start in South Wales, as Davies looks to maintain continuity from last season's strong finish.
Left-Side Overhaul
Birmingham have lost two influential players from the XI that ended last season at Portsmouth. Kai Wagner has returned to Philadelphia, while Ibrahim Osman has gone back to parent club Brighton, breaking up a left-sided partnership that proved highly effective in the second half of the campaign. This leaves Alex Cochrane, who has earned Davies' trust over two years, as the likely starter at left-back, with Lund having to wait for his opportunity in a settled team.
Based on last weekend's dress rehearsal against Barcelona, the starting XI should feature only two changes from that Portsmouth match. James Beadle is now the undisputed No.1, with Bright Osayi-Samuel, Phil Neumann, Christoph Klarer, and Cochrane forming the back four.
Midfield and Forward Options
In midfield, Jhon Solis and Tomoki Iwata are set to continue as the preferred pairing for away games, given their physical qualities. Paik Seung-ho is struggling with an injury and has had no pre-season after returning late from the World Cup, while Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Marc Leonard are both out long-term. This leaves limited options in the engine room.
Carlos Vicente, Jay Stansfield—who has slowly rebuilt fitness after a final-day injury—and in-form August Priske will occupy three spots in a four-man forward line. The final berth depends on Gray's fitness, with Davies remaining coy on the subject at Thursday's press conference, opening the door for Fujimoto.
Fujimoto's Mini Revival
Fujimoto has played a prominent role in pre-season and could operate in the number 10 position, with Stansfield pushed out wide. Davies described Fujimoto's pre-season as a 'mini revival', and he has profited from the lack of depth in his position. The club are targeting at least two attacking additions before the transfer window closes, which would likely push Fujimoto down the pecking order, but for now he's in the picture and must impress if given the chance.
Predicted Lineup vs Swansea
Birmingham City's predicted XI in a 4-2-3-1 formation: Beadle; Osayi-Samuel, Neumann, Klarer, Cochrane; Iwata, Solis; Vicente, Fujimoto, Stansfield; Priske.
