Birmingham City key player 'in trouble' ahead of Shrewsbury and Bristol Rovers clashes

Birmingham City central defender Christoph Klarer must tread very carefully after the international break.

Blues have a much-needed week off from League One football with seven players jetting off on international duty but the return to action promises more fixture congestion.

Kicking off with matches against Shrewsbury Town and Bristol Rovers, Blues will play all 10 of their remaining League One games over a period of just five weeks.

Following the trip to the Bristol, Davies’ men take on Barnsley, Peterborough United, Blackpool, Crawley Town, Burton Albion, Mansfield Town and Cambridge United to round off the league campaign – hopefully with promotion and the title wrapped up.

The clash away at Peterborough on April 8 is particularly important as Birmingham play the Posh again five days later in the highly-anticipated Vertu Trophy Final at Wembley Stadium.

Manager Chris Davies will be desperate to have as many regular starters fit and available for this run of games, so players must take great care to avoid injury and suspension.

On the latter point, Klarer is walking a tightrope. Currently on nine yellow cards, the central defender will have to serve a two-match suspension if he picks up another booking before the 37-game amnesty. As the 37th League One outing is next, all Klarer has to do is survive the game against Shrewsbury without a card.

Easy, right? Well, not particularly, as Shrewsbury - despite being rock bottom of League One - aren’t easy to play against. The Shrews beat Birmingham 3-2 in the reverse fixture back in November and are fighting for their lives in a bid to perform a miraculous escape from the relegation zone.

Klarer, Blues’ vice-captain, is among the most passionate players in the squad and probably the roughest. Aggression forms a huge part of the Austrian’s game but he must be on his best behaviour against Shrewsbury. If he gets in trouble, he’ll miss the games at Bristol and at home to Barnsley.

International dream becomes clear

On a brighter note, Klarer has revealed his aspirations to be called up to the Austria national team for the first time and hopes promotion with Blues will help his chances. The 24-year-old played 12 times for the Austria under-21 setup but is yet to appear as a senior international due to hefty competition at centre-back.

“It’s always been an ambition of mine,” Klarer said after the 1-1 draw at Northampton Town. “I knew it was going to be tough for me when I came here that obviously we’ve got players in the position playing for world-class clubs, playing in the Bundesliga, abroad and in the Champions League.

“It was always going to be tough for me but I haven’t lost motivation because I’ve got that big ambition in my head and we know if we keep going up the leagues that will always increase my chance. But I can truly and honestly say my main focus this year is on Blues.”

In other news, Davies has backed an under-fire Birmingham star to return to form following a difficult start to the year.