Birmingham City's new Wayne Rooney era begins on Saturday when he takes charge of his first match against Middlesbrough.
The 37-year-old has been working with his squad for little over a week now, and has got to know the players a little bit better. Several Blues men headed out to represent their country like Jordan James, Neil Etheridge, and in the latters case they will have travelled to different continents.
Rooney's first game in charge is against a familiar face from his Manchester United and England days, Michael Carrick. In Rooney's playing career, the player he played the most alongside was Carrick, with the two playing in 366-games together during a trophy-laden pell at Old Trafford.
Carrick has been in charge of Boro since replacing Chris Wilder, and took his side from relegation candidates to play-off semi-finalists, but it's been a slow start to the 2023/24 campaign for them, however they're in good form, and inflicted a 4-0 win over their North East rivals Sunderland at the Stadium of Light before the international break.
Birmingham on paper should be in good spirits too after beating Huddersfield Town and West Brom in a double game week before the international break. Blues are sixth in the current standings, and Boro are 16th with only four points separating the two sides which highlights the closeness of the division at the quarter-point of the season.
Below is the latest team news of both Birmingham City and Middlesbrough, ahead of their EFL Championship clash at the Riverside Stadium:
1. Lee Buchanan - out
Lee Buchanan rolled his ankle in a training session, and could be out until mid-November. He started all seven of the league games he was available for, having also been red carded against Watford. Photo: Morgan Harlow/Getty Images
2. Lee Buchanan - out (continued)
John Eustace said to Birmingham Live: “Lee Buchanan got injured on Monday and he will be out for four or five weeks, which is a massive blow to us. “Lee has been an outstanding performer - one of the best left-backs in the league. He had quite a bad slip on the training field and he’s got quite a bad strain.” Potential return: 4th November: Ipswich Town (H) Photo: Getty Images
3. Lewis O’Brien - out
Summer signing Lewis O’Brien is out for up to three months after requiring surgery on the lower leg injury he suffered against Watford last month. Photo: George Wood/Getty Images)
4. George Hall - out
George Hall pulled his hamstring in the defeat to Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup at the end of August. In the meantime, he has signed a new deal with the club, and has committed his future to Blues amid talk of Premier League interest. Photo: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)