Premier League winner hands Birmingham City key injury boost ahead of Portsmouth contest
Portsmouth make the trip to Birmingham City for the first time since the 2011-12 Championship campaign.
Birmingham City have been handed a key injury boost ahead of this Saturday’s Championship contest against Pompey.
Following the Blues’ promotion back to the second-tier, Chris Davies was able to heavily invest in his squad, which prompted the arrival of 12 new faces at St Andrews..
Among those was former Premier League winner Damarai Gray, who arrived as a free agent following his departure from Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ettifaq in July.
The 29-year-old, who penned a three-year deal back with his boyhood club in the summer, has featured in every league contest so far this term, netting one goal as well as providing one assist.
But after picking up an injury against Preston North End last week, the winger was a huge doubt going into Saturday’s Championship contest against Bristol City.
Gray, though, would be named on the bench at Ashton Gate and was utilised for the final 30 minutes in the 1-0 loss as Davies went in search of a late equaliser.
Birmingham City handed injury boost ahead of Pompey contest
Although the head coach admitted the ex-Leicester City and Swansea City man was touch-and-go for the defeat, the Blues boss made it clear the forward was fit enough to feature after overcoming the slight knock and should also be ready for this weekend’s fixture against Pompey.
Davies told BBC Radio WM: ‘Demarai has just been struggling with a little bit of an injury since the (Preston) game.
He was a bit of a doubt for this match, whether he would even be able to make the bench. Thankfully he woke up and he was feeling better.
Birmingham - and the rest of the Championship - endured a difficult three game week, with the Blues picking up just three points during that time.
Pompey, meanwhile, claimed just one point during that period, with the draw away to Leicester City followed up by disappointing defeats to Coventry City and Stoke City.
Chris Davies explains Birmingham changes
Although John Mousinho’s men have a number of key personnel currently absent, Davies made it clear he rotated the squad in order to keep the ‘zip’ in his side as Pompey wait ahead of this weekend’s fixture.
‘We were aware that in our third game in a week, there was the possibility that some might not have their usual zip.
‘The boys that came on gave us a little bit of a zip. Kyogo has a moment in pretty much every game that he’s on the pitch and he had another one off the goalkeeper dropping the ball.
‘The subs tried and we continued to push. In the end we had three strikers and we were trying to throw everything at them but it wasn’t enough.’