Chris Davies is likely to ring the changes again when Birmingham City take on Swindon Town in the Vertu Trophy this evening.
Winning the Vertu Trophy is on Blues’ to-do list this season and Davies will field a strong line-up at the County Ground. The Blues boss was able to rest key players Ryan Allsop, Ben Davies, Tomoki Iwata and Alfie May for the FA Cup victory over Lincoln on Saturday.
Blues could be without captain Krystian Bielik and record signing Jay Stansfield again, while Keshi Anderson and Emil Hansson look set to remain sidelined. Our Blues writers have put their XIs for Swindon down on paper…
Alex Dicken
Chris Davies stopped short of naming Bailey Peacock-Farrell as cup keeper at his press conference last week, so I have a feeling Ryan Allsop will get the nod for this one. Ethan Laird could play at left-back to give Alex Cochrane a break, and that would allow Alfons Sampsted to play in his natural position at right-back. A central defensive pairing of Christoph Klarer and Ben Davies is likely.
Tomoki Iwata didn’t play at all on Saturday so it would be a surprise if he didn’t start. Marc Leonard might just have the edge on Paik Seung-ho in this particular competition.
Davies is spoilt for choice in attack, too. Alfie May should come back in after his rest to lead the line but it would be harsh to leave Lyndon Dykes out after his match-winning display versus Lincoln.
Dykes could play off May, leaving two of Willum Willumsson, Luke Harris, Scott Wright and Ayumu Yokoyama to fill the wide berths. Given Wright’s need for minutes after injury and Willumsson’s importance, I’m plumping for them.
(4-2-3-1): Allsop; Sampsted, Klarer, Davies, Laird; Iwata, Leonard; Willumsson, Dykes, Wright; May
Brian Dick
It feels like the Vertu Trophy has become a really key competition to Blues and as they get closer to Wembley, so too the temptation to go strong increases. That said I still think Davies will balance his selection between first choices and the back-up players we have been used to seeing in knockout matches.
I think he’ll want to stand by Bailey Peacock-Farrell in goal but put out a defence that is slightly more familiar, meaning Christoph Klarer and Ben Davies could be reunited. Krystian Bielik won’t be risked – and neither will Alex Cochrane who has become the most important player in the squad by virtue of Lee Buchanan’s misfortune. Ethan Laird and Alfons Sampsted could operate on the flanks – but maybe with Laird as the one on the ‘wrong’ side.
I think Davies will want his preferred midfield duo of Paik Seung-ho and Tomoki Iwata, while Alfie May will return up front. Luke Harris and Willum Willumsson could come back in while Scott Wright is due another start after injury.
(4-2-3-1): Peacock-Farrell; Sampsted, Klarer, Davies, Laird; Paik, Iwata; Harris, Willumsson, Wright; May
