Birmingham City head out on the road for the penultimate time this season to face Rotherham United at New York Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Another vital fixture for Blues still flirting with relegation, Gary Rowett’s men will be keen to build late momentum from the 3-0 win over Coventry City last weekend. Bluenoses were granted their wishes as the players responded to falling into the bottom three with a revitalised performance and commanding victory but the job certainly isn’t complete yet.
Huddersfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday are merely one point behind, so winning this weekend is an absolute necessity for Birmingham, especially with Rotherham already relegated. The Millers, with only 23 points on the board, have lost a league-high 28 matches and managed just four wins.
There could be a new manager bounce for Saturday’s hosts as former head coach Steve Evans has returned to the club. Leam Richardson was relieved of his duties earlier this week and Evans, Rotherham’s boss between 2012 and 2015, was swiftly appointed for a second spell.
Blues must prepare accordingly to face a motivated Rotherham team with very little to lose. As a result, we reckon Rowett will be reluctant to make many changes, with continuity a sensible approach. There could be a switch in attack, though, to disrupt Rotherham’s preparation.
With all that in mind, here’s the Birmingham lineup we predict Rowett will name in South Yorkshire.
1. GK: John Ruddy
Ruddy remains first-choice goalkeeper, at least for the rest of this season. His shot-stopping is impressive but his distribution not so much.
2. RB: Ethan Laird
Former Manchester United man Laird appears to have locked down the right-back role for now, ahead of Cody Drameh.
3. CB: Krystian Bielik
The Poland international dropped back into defence against Coventry and did an outstanding job. He was crucial to Blues’ clean sheet.
4. CB: Dion Sanderson
The skipper definitely struggled throughout Birmingham’s recent rough patch but was excellent alongside Bielik last time out.