Birmingham City head out on the road for a third successive fixture as they take on local rivals West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on Saturday afternoon.
Reverting the focus to the Sky Bet Championship following the heavy 3-0 defeat to Leicester City in the Emirates FA Cup, Tony Mowbray will be keen to re-establish the fine form he initiated during his first games in charge. It won’t be straightforward, however, as West Brom are looking for to respond after a painful 2-0 defeat in the Black Country Derby against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Not just that, but the Baggies are currently fifth in the league standings and will be desperate to assert some credence in their play-off fight. Carlos Corberan has his team playing good football, too, making them a real threat on the transition.
Mowbray will be aware of this and will set up his side accordingly, looking to dominate possession while maintaining composure and dependability in defence. With that in mind, here’s the expressive yet cautious starting lineup we predict Blues will put out this weekend.
1. GK: Neil Etheridge
Etheridge could be handed a start at The Hawthorns as John Ruddy is said to be suffering from a slight injury.
2. RB: Ethan Laird
Laird returned to the starting lineup in the defeat at Leicester and he’s expected to play again with Cody Drameh out with a toe issue.
3. CB: Emanuel Aiwu
Aiwu is the closest in profile to Dion Sanderson, who is unavailable. Kevin Long and Marc Roberts are other options.
4. CB: Krystian Bielik
Bielik appears to be trusted by Mowbray as a central defender. His lack of pace and agility is concerning but his passing out from the back is effective.