Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has admitted that former Blues starlet Romelle Donovan could play a key role for Sheffield United when the two sides meet at Bramall Lane on Saturday evening. Davies, speaking ahead of the Championship clash, predicted a 'battle and a fight' between two clubs with promotion ambitions.
Sheffield United, perennial promotion challengers, finished 13th last season after a poor start, while Birmingham are aiming to build on a top-10 finish in their first season back in the second tier. The Blues will also be seeking revenge for a 3-0 defeat at Bramall Lane last December, a game in which Tommy Doyle was sent off early.
Davies Expects Tough Test Against Promotion Rivals
Davies acknowledged the quality of Sheffield United, stating: "They will have those hopes and expectations and I view them as one of the better teams in the league. They're a big club, they've been used to getting out of this league, and always make it difficult."
Reflecting on last season's heavy defeat, he added: "We never gave ourselves a chance last season because of the red card. It was a tough day for us. It will be a battle and a fight and we will have to do a lot of things well to get a result. At the same time, I'm really looking forward to it."
Many of the players who featured in that December loss are expected to play again on Saturday, with the match broadcast live on Sky Sports. Davies said: "Those that were there know what it was like – it wasn't pretty, it wasn't pleasant. There's been a lot of water under the bridge since then, a brand new game and we have to attack it."
Donovan's Journey Since Leaving Blues
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has reshaped his squad during the summer. Star midfielder Gus Hamer has returned to Coventry City following their promotion to the Premier League, and Jairo Riedewald has also departed. The Blades have brought in Romelle Donovan on a season-long loan from Brentford.
Donovan, who made his Championship debut for Birmingham at the age of 16, left his boyhood club for Brentford 18 months ago after struggling for regular game time under Davies. The Blues boss recalled: "There was a lot of talk of Romelle when I first came and he really caught my eye in the first few weeks of training in terms of his energy, quality and the personality of such a young lad."
Davies continued: "He played a few pre-season games – I remember one at Shrewsbury he did quite well in – but then as things went on, giving him regular game time at that point wasn't something I could guarantee. It was all very amicable and we spoke to his family and he decided to go a different route."
The Blues boss expressed delight at Donovan's progress: "I'm really pleased to see his career develop as it has done since he's been at Brentford. He's still young and I look forward to seeing him. It probably wasn't quite the right time at that stage for him or for us."
Saturday's match promises to be a stern test for Birmingham as they look to continue their upward trajectory, while Sheffield United will be eager to prove they remain serious promotion contenders.
