Birmingham City manager Chris Davies could field what many consider to be his strongest starting XI for Wednesday's friendly against Solihull Moors at The ARMCO Arena. The match, Blues' first on English soil this pre-season, follows a 3-1 victory over Huddersfield Town in Portugal.
Key absentees return for Solihull clash
Notable absentees from the Huddersfield win were Ethan Laird, Dael Fry, Marvin Ducksch and Jay Stansfield. Laird and Ducksch were nursing injuries, while Fry and Stansfield watched from the stands. Both are expected to feature against Solihull Moors, according to BirminghamLive.
Fry, a 28-year-old former Middlesbrough captain, is seen as the left-sided defender Blues have sought since Ben Davies returned to Rangers. “I’m not too sure if I’m going to play on the left or the right but I’m happy to do either,” Fry told BirminghamLive. “I’ve played nearly 300 games in the Championship and the majority of them have been on the left so I am comfortable there.”
Predicted first-choice lineup
Ryan Allsop is expected to continue in goal, with Brad Mayo likely to get another 45-minute run-out as Blues await a new number one. The defence could feature Bright Osayi-Samuel, Phil Neumann, Christoph Klarer and Kai Wagner, though Fry may partner Klarer instead of Neumann.
In midfield, Paik Seung-ho won't report back until next week, so Jhon Solis and Tomoki Iwata have first claim, with Taylor Gardner-Hickman as first reserve. The attacking quartet likely includes Carlos Vicente, Jay Stansfield, Demarai Gray and August Priske, though Ibrahim Osman remains a target.
Building team chemistry
Davies is expected to give his starters no more than 60 minutes at this early stage of pre-season. “If Davies has a clear XI in mind, which he definitely did towards the end of last season, then it makes sense to work on the team’s cohesion and chemistry,” the report notes.
The predicted starting XI (4-2-3-1) is: Allsop; Osayi-Samuel, Klarer, Fry, Wagner; Iwata, Solis; Vicente, Stansfield, Gray; Priske.
