Birmingham City midfielder Max Bird has been ruled out for several weeks after sustaining an injury in training, manager Chris Davies confirmed ahead of the club's first home game of the season against Bristol City.
The 25-year-old was a surprise omission from the matchday squad for the Championship fixture at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park, having made his debut as a substitute against Sheffield United just last week.
Bird joined Blues from Bristol City on a three-year contract and signed just a day before that first appearance, but he has now been denied a home debut due to the knock picked up on the training ground on Thursday.
Davies confirms extent of injury
Speaking before the match, Davies said: "Max just picked up a knock in training sadly and he's going to be out for a few weeks by the looks of it, which is a blow for him and a blow for us because he came in and made a quick start.
"That's the way of it, he just needs to get on with it and get back as quickly as possible."
Bird's injury issues are not new, however. During his final season with Bristol City, he managed only 15 Championship appearances due to recurring calf problems.
Career record and squad changes
Despite those setbacks, Bird played every game for Bristol City in the 2024/25 season, helping them finish inside the Championship play-off positions. He has amassed more than 250 career appearances to date.
His place on the bench against Bristol City was taken by Marvin Ducksch in an otherwise unchanged 20-man squad. Ducksch missed the entirety of pre-season through injury, but Davies confirmed on Thursday that the German forward had completed a full week of training.
Bird will now begin his recovery with the aim of returning to action as soon as possible, while Birmingham City continue their early-season campaign without him.
