'Uncertain' - Chris Davies offers Birmingham City injury update as Blues sweat on fitness of key player
Chris Davies has given an update on Jay Stansfield’s injury ahead of Birmingham City vs Coventry.
Birmingham City could still be without star striker Jay Stansfield for Sunday’s clash with Coventry City, head coach Chris Davies has admitted.
Stansfield missed Blues’ 3-0 loss away at Watford on New Year’s Day due to a dead leg he suffered against Southampton just a few days earlier. It was a disappointing enough result for Birmingham to kick off 2026, but worse still when it was confirmed that Stansfield was absent through injury.
It has now been a run of eight games without a goal for Stansfield, however he of course remains a pivotal player and he’s missed whenever he’s unavailable. Many Blues fans will have grimaced when he wasn’t in the squad against Watford, so they’ll be relieved to hear it’s nothing serious. Though it’s still enough for some immediate uncertainty.
Jay Stansfield injury update emerges
When asked about Stansfield ahead of the Coventry clash, Davies told Birmingham Live: “We missed his energy. He got a knock, unfortunately, and was unable to be anywhere near available for the bench. It’s a little bit uncertain. We will have to see how he is in the next 48 hours. We’ll have to see how he is tomorrow and the next day.”
The time is ticking ahead of Sunday’s game, with the congested fixture schedule continuing into the new year. Knowing his importance, Davies won’t take any big risks in rushing Stansfield back. He won’t want to missing his key man for too long, though, so he’ll need to strike a balance.
One thing that is for sure, Blues really lacked creativity and had no clinical edge against Watford. Just five shots were taken at Vicarage Road, with only two on target. With Championship leaders Coventry coming to town, Birmingham cannot afford to disappoint in front of goal once again.
Pressure building on Davies
This weekend’s game would have been a big test regardless, but it’s even more important with Davies now under serious pressure. The former Tottenham Hotspur assistant manager did an incredible job to break the EFL points record last campaign, however the jury is still out on whether he’s capable of leading Blues in the higher divisions.
It was a mixed start for Blues, followed by an impressive start of November with two successive 4-0 victories, before a tricky festive period. Birmingham, last victorious on December 1 at home to Watford, haven’t won any of their last seven matches.
Many Bluenoses have understandably either already lost patience with Davies - or are beginning to - and so an improvement is required sooner rather than later. Blues’ hierarchy won’t want to make any rash decisions - and Davies undoubtedly has plenty of credit in the bank for last season’s achievements - but a sacking isn’t beyond the realms of possibility if the tide doesn’t begin to turn.
After taking on Coventry this Sunday lunchtime, Blues travel away to Cambridge United in the FA Cup fourth round before a visit to Swansea City in the Championship. It’s then yet another away day, at table-footers Sheffield Wednesday.