Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has insisted his squad will manage without key defender Tomoki Iwata, who faces a one-match suspension after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season.
Inevitable Suspension Hits In-Form Defender
The blow came during Wednesday's Championship draw at West Bromwich Albion, where referee Thomas Kirk cautioned the Japanese international for a first-half foul on Callum Styles. Iwata had been walking a disciplinary tightrope since collecting his fourth league booking during last month's 1-0 defeat to Bristol City.
Tomoki Iwata will miss Monday night's fixture against Watford at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park as a result of this automatic suspension. The influential player has been occupying the right-back position recently, delivering what Davies described as "scintillating form" for the Blues.
Davies Reacts to Selection Headache
While disappointed to lose his in-form defender, Davies expressed relief that the situation wasn't worse. "It's good that he didn't get two and he stayed on the pitch," the manager commented. "When you get one that early against wingers that are quick, you've got a job on your hands to not get a second one and he managed that quite well."
Davies acknowledged the suspension had felt unavoidable, stating: "We were walking a tightrope with Tomoki, it was always going to happen." The first yellow card amnesty in the Championship arrives after the 19th league match of the season, but Iwata couldn't reach that threshold without serving a ban.
Planning for Watford Clash
With Iwata unavailable for selection, Bright Osayi-Samuel emerges as the favourite to fill the right-back position against Watford on Monday. Davies remains confident in his squad's depth, simply stating: "We'll cope with that."
The manager's pragmatic approach reflects the challenges of a demanding Championship season, where squad rotation and adapting to suspensions become crucial elements of any successful campaign.
