Kim Hellberg will lead his Middlesbrough F.C. side to face Birmingham City F.C. at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park on Monday night, with the hosts dealing with a significant setback.
Birmingham’s push for the play-offs suffered a damaging blow following their 3-0 defeat at Millwall, coupled with Wrexham’s victory over Portsmouth the previous day. The results leave the ambitious Blues five points adrift and four places outside the top six.
To make matters worse, they head into the Middlesbrough clash with fresh availability concerns. Kai Wagner, the club’s only recognised fit left-back, picked up a painful shoulder injury after a heavy collision with Ryan Leonard in the second half at Millwall. After receiving lengthy treatment, he was replaced by Ethan Laird with around 20 minutes remaining.
Midfielder Jhon Solis will also miss out after being sent off for two bookings, the second a mistimed challenge on Casper De Norre. The on-loan Girona man had impressed since arriving, adding steel to Chris Davies’ midfield, but his suspension now further weakens Birmingham’s options.
With Paik Seung-ho already sidelined by a shoulder issue, Davies is left with just two fit central midfielders for the visit of Boro, making it highly likely that Tomoki Iwata and Wolves loanee Tommy Doyle will be handed starting roles.
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