By admin With only two Championship games remaining this season, Birmingham City’s survival hopes are still hanging by a thread, with Gary Rowett hampered by a frustrating injury concern ahead of his side’s key match against Huddersfield Town.
Birmingham Injury News
Rowett has been tasked with navigating Birmingham to safety since taking over for Tony Mowbray in March, when the former Sunderland manager was forced to step down due to medical reasons. So far, it has been a difficult effort. The temporary manager has taken command of six games, winning two, losing three, and drawing one. As a result, safety is no longer guaranteed, with Birmingham in a hazardous position.
Looking at the current situation, Birmingham’s match against Huddersfield on Saturday is as important as it can be for Rowett and his team. If they win, they will be able to move away from the Terriers and possibly into safety if the results above them are favorable. If Birmingham loses, they might be at least four points from safety by the end of the weekend.
The Terriers’ challenge has got even more tough following Rowett’s injury report. Despite the manager’s previous belief that Lukas Jutkiewicz would play a role in Birmingham’s final two Championship games, the forward remains a question ahead of the weekend.
Rowett confirmed the news, telling the Birmingham Mail: “I know Jukey very well; he is absolutely someone who can help us around the group as well. The first thing he said to me was, ‘If I’m not available, I want to travel with the team. It reveals a lot about him. Jukey is always the go-to person to get you out of trouble.
“We are hoping that he will recover. You’ll see him hobbling, but he’ll still want to play. I’m hopeful he can play some of the season, but I don’t want to put too much pressure on him given the injuries he suffered.”
“Physical” Jutkiewicz is a major miss.
Experience can rapidly become a vital factor in any relegation battle, and Jutkiewicz, at 35, certainly has it. If Rowett wanted a chance to fall to any Birmingham player, Jutkiewicz would be at the top of his list. Nonetheless, Birmingham must avoid the drop without the assistance of their veteran forward, unless he makes a late comeback against the odds.
Rowett previously worked with Jutkiewicz at Birmingham and praised him, telling the Birmingham Mail in 2016: “The second goal was a good ball into the box; when Jukey gets the ball crossed into him and he’s in the middle of the goal, not many teams are going to be able to stop him.
“He’s off to a great start in his Blues career, with four goals in eight or nine games. He was a genuine handful and a physical presence at times.