Birmingham City. Several senior Birmingham City players missed Gary Rowett’s first training session due to injuries. Rowett was brought in last week to preserve the Blues from relegation to League One after it was announced that Tony Mowbray would step down until the summer to recover from medical treatment.
Mark Venus had been directing the team in Mowbray’s absence, but owners Knighthead intervened after a run of five defeats in six games left the club just above the relegation zone on goal difference. Rowett will manage the final eight games of the 2023/24 season before Mowbray’s expected return in time for preseason.Four players have signed for
Rowett’s first game will be a crucial relegation battle against Queens Park Rangers on Good Friday (3pm kick-off). Blues can leapfrog QPR, the team directly above them in the table, with a win at Loftus Road.
Rowett may have to go without a handful of Blues players. Krystian Bielik, Marc Roberts, Siriki Dembele, Keshi Anderson, Alex Pritchard, and Lukas Jutkiewicz were not seen in Rowett’s first training session last week. The quintet sustained injuries before the international break, and Rowett will be probed about their development at his first press conference later this week.
Oliver Burke was another prominent absentee during training. Burke was frozen out by Mowbray and Venus, but Rowett has signed the 26-year-old winger twice before and could unlock his full ability at St Andrew’s. Alfie Chang also skipped the workout due to a long-standing knee issue.
Bielik returned from a groin injury on the eve of the Southampton game, only to rupture a muscle in his stomach while training. He has missed the Blues’ last six matches.
Roberts recently missed time with his third calf injury of the season before returning to lead the Blues’ defence at Millwall. He started against Middlesbrough before succumbing to agony and hobbled off with a recurrence of his nagging injury.
Former interim manager Venus stated (March 14): “Marc has injured his calf again; I believe he will require time away from the squad. He’s had a sore calf for some time.
“He was finishing up training sessions and the calf wasn’t giving him any trouble, then the other night it did. He is out, as is customary in football clubs. We need to deal with it.
Jutkiewicz collapsed in the final seconds of Blues’ defeat to Watford. The veteran striker landed awkwardly after competing for an aerial ball and had to be replaced.
