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:
5. George Hall - out (continued)
Hall was ‘progressing nicely’ according to Eustace, but was described as three-to-four weeks away, and so he’s likely to miss out. Potential return date: 25th October: Hull City (H), 28th October: Southampton (A) or 4th November: Ipswich Town (H) | Getty Images Photo: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
6. Sonny Finch - out
Sonny Finch has a right-ankle injury that he suffered in pre-season. He was emerging as a first-team player in pre-season, but an injury hampered his prospects. | Liverpool FC via Getty Images Photo: Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
7. Ethan Laird - doubtful
Ethan Laird was described as ‘10-15’ days away, having suffered a hamstring in mid-August against Bristol City. Cody Drameh has started in his place, and could be given the nod in Wayne Rooney’s first game. Potential return date: 21st October: Middlesbrough (A) or 28th October: Southampton (A) | Getty Images Photo: Cameron Smith/Getty Images)
8. Matthew Clarke - out
A back injury has put him out for over a year, and he has only recently been making appearances for Boro’s under-21’s. | Getty Images Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images)