Rare start for attacker as Chris Davies rings changes in FA Cup - Birmingham City predicted XI vs Lincoln City

Blues continue their FA Cup campaign with the hosting of fellow League One side Lincoln on Saturday afternoon.

This is just the second FA Cup meeting in history between Birmingham and Lincoln with Blues winning the previous game 2-1 in 1969, also a third round tie at St Andrew’s.

Blues are also unbeaten in their last 18 matches against the Imps in all competitions (W12, D6) since a narrow 1-0 defeat in April 1911. For context, that’s the longest unbeaten run against any opponent in Birmingham’s history.

Chris Davies will be keen to ensure history repeats itself as a valuable spot in the fourth round is up for grabs. Rotation is likely as League One remains the priority but a strong lineup can still be expected. With that in mind, here’s the Blues XI we reckon will be named this weekend.

Birmingham City predicted lineup vs Lincoln City

GK: Bailey Peacock-Farrell

The Northern Irishman has been dropped in favour of Ryan Allsop in the league but that’s often swapped around in the cup competitions.

RB: Krystian Bielik

The new captain leads exceptionally well from the back and is vitally important to this team. No matter the fixture, the Poland international should play.

CB: Dion Sanderson

Sanderson has fallen well down the pecking order of late but he remains a decent player Blues can call upon in these competitions.

CB: Ben Davies

The manager’s namesake is enjoying a good run in the team and deserves to keep his place. Christoph Klarer, meanwhile, could do with a rest.

LB: Alex Cochrane

As reliable as anyone in this squad, Cochrane will play a lot of football in the absence of Lee Buchanan after the fellow left-back suffered another serious injury.

CM: Taylor Gardner-Hickman

Capable of playing in an array of roles, TGH has been a handy player for Davies so far this campaign. Blues are likely to make his loan permanent in the coming weeks.

CM: Marc Leonard

Leonard has had to settle for an impact substitute role in League One due to Paik and Iwata’s form, so he should earn as many minutes as possible in the cups.

CAM: Luke Harris

The Fulham loanee returned to the XI against Wigan and could be in line for another start here as he looks to build momentum.

RW: Scott Wright

Wright has had two substitute appearances since his return from injury, against Stockport and Wigan. He might just make the XI this time around.

LW: Ayumu Yokoyama

The Japanese youngster could get a run out as Emil Hansson, Jay Stansfield and Keshi Anderson are all expected to miss out.

ST: Lyndon Dykes

A rare inclusion in the XI could be on the cards for Dykes, who has started just six matches this season. Davies needs to spread the game time fairly when possible.