Blackpool vs Birmingham City injury news - as 9 confirmed out and 5 doubts

Blackpool vs Birmingham City latest injury and team news - as nine players are confirmed out and five are doubts.
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Birmingham City are in Sky Bet Championship action for the first time in over four weeks as they take on Blackpool on Saturday afternoon. Up against a relegation-threatened Tangerines side away in the north west, Blues will be hoping for a strong return after their long break.

John Eustace’s team were in fine form before the World Cup put a pause on league matches and soared up to the top half of the league standings for a little while, before dropping down to 14th with a defeat to Sunderland on November 11. The fixture congestion really took its toll on Birmingham and they did well to lose just one of their last five.

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This weekend’s opponents, Blackpool, were delighted to have some time off to break away from their own form - as they were defeated in four successive Championship games in early November. Down in 22nd position, Michael Appleton’s side will be desperate to put on a better showing for supporters.

Eustace and his men will likely be lipping their lips after a much-needed rest, as a victory on Saturday could lift Blues to as high as sixth in the table depending on other results elsewhere. The Seasiders, meanwhile, have the chance to get out of the bottom three with a win.

What is the injury news ahead of Blackpool vs Birmingham City?

Birmingham quartet Harlee Dean, Gary Gardner, Nico Gordon and Marc Roberts, who all faced issues before the World Cup, are in contention to play but a couple of them remain doubts. “Harlee missed a few games and he is touch and go. [Roberts] is back now which is good. Nico got a good 45 minutes under his belt and he will be pushing,” Eustace said pre-match.

Krystian Bielik, Hannibal Mejbri and Jordan James are all doubts as they only recently returned from Qatar. “They have come back OK but emotionally it would have taken a lot out of those boys so we will have to wait and see for Saturday,” Eustace said. Przemyslaw Placheta, who has been sidelined for a few months with a shin injury, remains absent. Other than that, there are no fresh injury concerns for Blues.

Birmingham City have the edge on the injury news front, as Blackpool are ridden with problems.Birmingham City have the edge on the injury news front, as Blackpool are ridden with problems.
Birmingham City have the edge on the injury news front, as Blackpool are ridden with problems.
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Blackpool, on the other hand, will struggle - especially on the defensive front - as Marvin Expiteta is suspended and Jordan Thornilley is recovering from a concussion. “I want to come out and be really positive and say ‘yeah, we’re in a much better place’ but the reality is we’re not,” head coach Appleton told The Blackpool Gazette.

“We’ve had setbacks with injuries. They’re not great. There will be six or seven players that will be out until January at least,” Appleton continued. The Blackpool manager was unwilling to reveal the identities of those missing, as to “not make Birmingham’s job easier,” but it seems they are rather stricken ahead of the clash.

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