Tony Mowbray issues 'vital' double Birmingham injury update before Sunderland reunion

Birmingham City manager Tony Mowbray has confirmed ex-Sunderland duo Dion Sanderson and Alex Pritchard will return to full training before Saturday's Sky Bet Championship clash with the Black Cats.

The pair are unlikely to start against their former club but could feature in some capacity. Sanderson is the more probable of the two as the captain's next few days are more straightforward than Pritchard's.

“I’m not sure he’s going to make the weekend," Mowbray said of Pritchard after Birmingham's 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers. "It’s a calf strain from his first game. I’ve told Alex, 'You don’t need to rush it'. Let’s get his calf right and get him back properly."

Mowbray believes Blues could have done with Pritchard's finishing capabilities on Tuesday as just one goal was scored despite several clear-cut opportunities being crafted. Patience is needed for a proper return, though, as care must be taken to not aggravate the injury.

In the case of Sanderson, there's hope he'll be in the matchday squad to face Michael Beale's Sunderland. “Dion’s back training on Thursday. I'm not sure I'm going to throw him straight in after just two days of training on Thursday and Friday," Mowbray confirmed.

"Robbo [Marc Roberts] deserved his chance. I don’t historically like changing the centre-backs, when you’ve got a pairing that’s good and understands each other’s strengths and weaknesses you don’t mess with it," Mowbray explained.

Eventually, the new manager will get his wish for a more consistent defensive line but for now, the experimentation continues. Roberts is expected to pair Krystian Bielik at the weekend but you never know with Mowbray as he's always throwing in surprises.