Birmingham City return to home soil on Saturday afternoon as they take on play-off chasers Luton Town in the Sky Bet Championship. Having suffered eight defeats in their last 10 league matches, Blues will be desperate to put right their wrongs in front of a home crowd but it won’t be easy.
Luton are without a victory in their last three matches but they remain in the top six and are very solid defensively. Only Burnley (28) and Sheffield United (30) have conceded fewer than The Hatters, who have let in 32 goals in 32 games. Birmingham’s figure, meanwhile, stands at 45.
John Eustace has had some almighty battles to contend with but the one most pressing at the moment - on the field at least - is inconsistency. His team just cannot seem to put together a string of positive results and that has been the case ever since the World Cup break.
Before that, Blues were in top form and were - just like Luton - one of the best defensive sides in the division. Eustace will be hoping his team can rediscover their confidence of old and to do so we think he will opt for a 4-1-2-1-2, just like he did in the 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.
With that in mind, here is the starting XI we reckon Birmingham will go with on Saturday.
5. CB: Kevin Long
Made a crucial clearance off the line vs Norwich and is one of only a few fit centre backs. | Getty Images
6. LB: Auston Trusty
Keeps swapping between left-back and centre half but we think the American will head back out wide. | Getty Images
7. CDM: Krystian Bielik
Eustace described the Polish international as ‘touch and go’, but we think he will get the nod. | Getty Images
8. CM: George Hall
Played the full 90 minutes at Carrow Road and looked impressive. Has so much to offer in midfield. | Getty Images