Birmingham City have to regroup as they face Bristol City in the EFL Championship at St Andrew's on Friday (December 29) night. Blues suffered a 3-1 defeat to Stoke City in front of the Sky Sports television cameras with all the damage done before the hour mark. Jay Stansfield's effort in the 69th minute was the only moment of cheer in what was a disappointing performance on Boxing Day.
Wayne Rooney's side continue to slide down the table and are now 19th in the standings, having been overtaken by the Potters. Friday's opponents Bristol City meanwhile go into the game having won 4-1 away against Watford. Cameron Pring, Mark Sykes and former Aston Villa striker Andi Weimann were on target, whilst Wesley Hoedt scored an own goal in first-half stoppage time.
The West Country outfit are now ninth, and are just a point off of the play-off places. Both sides met earlier in the season at Ashton Gate, and since then they have both made managerial changes. Koji Miyoshi and Lukas Jutkiewicz scored back in August when John Eustace was in charge of Birmingham, and Nigel Pearson was the Robins boss.
The future of striker Scott Hogan was brought into question following his absence against Stoke on Tuesday, however Rooney addressed the rumours, and said that his exclusion was down to wanting to find the right balance of the squad.
Keshi Anderson and Tyler Roberts made their returns following lengthy lay-offs, and now Rooney has somewhat of a selection headache in attack. Teenage midfielder Romelle Donovan gave a good account of himself, and may have played his way into the starting eleven, having caught the eye when Rooney first arrived.
Birmingham City still have some players who are nursing injuries however, and so without a further ado here's the latest injury and team news from Blues and Bristol City.
1. Lee Buchanan - out
He was hospitalised by an injury sustained against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday. Concussion protcol prevents Buchanan from contact sport for at least 10 days. Photo: Getty Images
2. Haydon Roberts - out
Suffered an ankle injury against Ipswich Town in October, and hasn't played since. Began rehabilitation in mid-November. Photo: Getty Images
3. Krystian Bielik - out
Suspended for three games after a red card against Plymouth. The defeat against Stoke City was the first game he served of his ban, and will miss the game against Bristol City, as well as the New Year's Day trip to Leeds United. Photo: Getty Images
4. Andy King - out
Nursing a hamstring injury. Could return soon after a social media update. Photo: Getty Images