Birmingham City Injury Crisis Ahead of Leeds United FA Cup Clash
Birmingham City are facing a significant injury crisis as they prepare for their crucial FA Cup fourth round tie against Leeds United this Sunday, February 15, with kick-off scheduled for 12pm. The Blues have welcomed back winger Demarai Gray from injury, but they have lost influential midfielder Paik Seung-ho during Tuesday's hard-fought draw with West Bromwich Albion.
Paik Seung-ho's Shoulder Injury Recurrence
Paik Seung-ho is now a major doubt for this weekend's FA Cup clash after suffering a recurrence of the shoulder injury he originally sustained against Middlesbrough back in November. On that previous occasion, Paik was patched up and managed to return to action in under three weeks.
Blues manager Chris Davies will address the media on Friday afternoon to provide updates on Paik's condition along with the status of other injured players within the squad. Davies expressed his concern, stating: “It’s that shoulder again and it’s concerning because he’s a massive player. It’s obviously very painful to experience getting your shoulder like that again. We will have to see how he is and what exactly it means because it’s the second time that it’s happened now.”
Defensive Concerns for Birmingham
The injury list extends beyond Paik, with several key defenders also sidelined. Jack Robinson tightened up his hamstring during the second half of Birmingham's FA Cup victory over Cambridge United in January and requested to be substituted. The experienced defender has since missed the last six games, though there is hope he could return to training before the end of February.
Left-back Alex Cochrane, who was virtually ever-present in his debut season, has been struggling with niggling injuries this campaign. Cochrane has been absent since the New Year's Day defeat to Watford and is unlikely to feature again until April. Manager Davies confirmed: “With Alex, my understanding is that the last month of the season is when we can think of him.”
Additional Squad Absences
Ethan Laird has not featured since sustaining a hamstring injury in the defeat to Coventry on September 27. Davies has indicated that Laird is progressing step by step and could potentially return to team training this month after recovering from a high-grade hamstring injury.
Lee Buchanan is now thirteen months into his recovery from a knee injury and has recently begun light training. The signing of Kai Wagner had initially addressed Birmingham's shortage at left-back, but Cochrane's injury means Buchanan might be needed during the second half of the season. Buchanan has been named in Birmingham's squad for the remainder of the Championship season, with Davies noting the need for caution: “It’s been such a long injury that you’ve got to be cautious with that but we hope Lee can get up to speed. He would need a few under-21s games to build.”
As Birmingham City gear up for their FA Cup encounter with Leeds United, manager Chris Davies faces significant selection challenges with five players potentially unavailable due to various injuries.
