Birmingham City FA Cup

Brum team news

Birmingham City have suffered another injury blow with the news that Matija Sarkic’s season is over.

The goalkeeper, who is on loan from Wolves, dislocated his shoulder in last weekend’s 2-1 loss to Queen’s Park Rangers and will now return to his parent club.

The 24-year-old picked up the injury in an innocuous incident at the end of the QPR match when he threw the ball out to Kristian Pedersen.

He needed immediate treatment and Blues finished the game with George Friend in between the sticks.

Head coach Lee Bowyer confirmed the news: “He was in a bad way. He is going to have to have an operation next week so he will miss the rest of the season.

“It’s disappointing obviously, he came in, did well, improved, it’s just a shame it ended that way. He will obviously be going back to Wolves, having surgery and hopefully he recovers quickly.”

Sarkic’s misfortune undoes what had been a promising summer’s transfer business, with four loan players coming in and contributing.

However, his Molineux team-mate Dion Sanderson has been called back, Riley McGree has left the club and Tahith Chong will miss four-five months with a thigh injury.

The Montenegrin international overcame a wobble in pre-season to produce an high standard first half of the campaign, which saw him produce ten clean sheets from 23 matches - third behind Sam Johnstone of West Brom and Bournemouth’s Sam Travers.

With Sarkic out, Bowyer has decided to recall Zach Jeacock from his League Two loan: “This is something we will have to weigh up because if you bring in cover that becomes a loan doesn’t it? Today, I would prefer for my loan players to be outfield players. That’s where we are today.

“I am sure Zach Jeacock is coming back, we are trying to arrange that with Salford, he is going to come back and be around us, training with [Andy Marshall] Marsh every day.”






Lee Bowyer has revealed Ivan Sanchez will be out for at least another month.

The winger last played for Birmingham City in August and has had two operations since.

He returned to sit on the bench for a few weeks in October but then had to have a second surgery - from which he is yet to return.

Bowyer admits that with Riley McGree gone and Tahith Chong unavailable, he would like to have the Spaniard at his disposal - but admits that is not an imminent prospect.

“He’s a long way away,” Bowyer said. “I will be amazed if he is and around us by the end of the window, I can’t see that.

“He would be perfect now wouldn’t he? We were playing a league game against QPR and we had two 17-year-olds starting, a 16-year-old on the bench, an 18-year-old on the bench.

“Would Ivan be playing at the moment? Of course he would. But he is not fit so that’s out of my control.

“I would love to have him in and around it. Even at the start of the season when he was coming on as sub, he came on as sub against Luton and did well for us. I would love to have that as an option at least – but we don’t.”

Fellow winger Jordan Graham is still a couple of weeks from returning from the hamstring strain he sustained before Christmas - but there is better news around two other senior players.

“Big Robbo [Marc Roberts] starts training on Monday and he’s the first one back, Jukey [Lukas Jutkiewicz] not long after that, Thursday. Robbo is outside running and everything but just can’t train with us yet.”

Matija Sarkic’s dislocated shoulder means Blues are left with just one of the five loan players they brought to the club in the summer.

Riley McGree and Dion Sanderson have left, while Tahith Chong is also out long-term.

“These are things we can’t control,” Bowyer added. “Mati throwing the ball out, he has probably done that millions of times in his short career, for him to dislocate his shoulder doing that is unbelievable.

“Chongy, a five-yard pass – and I mean a five-yard pass, no-one near him. No pressure, nothing and he gets an injury like what he’s had, it just doesn’t happen.

“Of course I feel for Craig [Gardner], I feel for myself, I feel for everyone to do with the football club.

“The fans pay to come and see the best players play and unfortunately Chongy has been out for a long time and it’s hurt us in a big way.

“Unfortunately those injuries are things we can’t control because if we could, they wouldn’t happen, trust me.”

Argyle Team news

Plymouth Argyle continue to have Covid issues ahead of their FA Cup third round tie away to Birmingham City tomorrow.

The Pilgrims' squad returned to training earlier this week following a five-day closure of the club after 'a considerable number of players' tested positive.

Now, manager Steven Schumacher has confirmed that there have been a couple more Covid cases but he can still select a strong team for the FA Cup clash against Birmingham.

The Argyle squad are taking daily lateral flow tests each morning before attending training and there were no new cases reported today.

Schumacher said: "We had a five-day closure of the building. Everybody had to go home and look after themselves with their own (fitness) programmes and what not.

"We got everybody back the early part of this week and the atmosphere has been good around the building. People are glad to be back on the grass training and looking forward to Saturday now."

Schumacher added: "The ones who tested positive last week, they are all back in. There has been a couple of cases this week that we won't be able to have going into Birmingham.

"Again, it's nothing too serious, thankfully. Everyone is okay but we won't have them available. We are not too bad, we are fine, we have got a team that are going there to try and compete against Birmingham City."

Schumacher admitted it made management tricky not knowing from one day until the next whether any of his players would test positive for Covid.

He said: "I come in and I keep looking at my phone until 9.15am when all the lads have had their testing rounds by then, and the text message pops up from Nick (Fulton) the physio and the doctor.

"I look through my fingers as I open it to see how many players I have got available but, look, it's part of what we are dealing with at the moment.

"I won't be the only manager up and down the country that is having to deal with that issue. It's tricky, you have to have a plan in your mind but then you also have to be adaptable if it goes west."

Schumacher did not want to name the players who would miss the FA Cup tie at St Andrew's due to Covid.

"It would give our team away won't it?" he said. "We have got a couple of cases and you will see from the teamsheet at the weekend.

Clubs can name up to nine substitutes in the FA Cup and Argyle will be fine numbers wise, according to Schumacher.

He joked: "I'm getting my boots on, Nance (first team coach Kevin Nancekivell) is in! No, we are okay, we are fine. Like everybody, we are stretched at the moment and there will be a few young boys travelling with us.

"That will be a great opportunity and a good experience for them but we are okay, we have got a real strong team that we feel can go there and put in a good performance and hopefully get a result against Birmingham and get into the next round."

He added: "We have had a clear round of testing today, which is great, and we will go and prepare now on the training ground like we planned for yesterday with no disruption and crack on with the day

Are they playing this to the death ie no draws and no replays at home?

Earwegoagain wrote:

Are they playing this to the death ie no draws and no replays at home?

Yeah Extra time and pens if needed.

Pretty much certain that the players not travelling to Brum, will be destined for Preston.

PlymptonPilgrim wrote:

Pretty much certain that the players not travelling to Brum, will be destined for Preston.

Two staying behind because of virus

Tgwu wrote:

PlymptonPilgrim wrote:

Pretty much certain that the players not travelling to Brum, will be destined for Preston.

Two staying behind because of virus

is it Hardie & Mayor ..hmm! I wonder

RegGreen wrote:

Tgwu wrote:

PlymptonPilgrim wrote:

Pretty much certain that the players not travelling to Brum, will be destined for Preston.

Two staying behind because of virus

is it Hardie & Mayor ..hmm! I wonder

It will be interesting to see who it is. One or two key players will be leaving this window.

We'll lose but no shame in going out the cup to a Championship team away.

Birmingham City 2 - 0 Argo

Is this being shown live anywhere?

No idea how to call this one , looks like it's a coin jobby again.



Going for a hard fought 1-0 to Argyle.

Is there anywhere where you can stream/buy to watch todays game anyone know ?

I fancy us strongly today there form his absolutely shit at the moment plus there gunna be all flash and name a weaken side just because there in championship….we play the way we can get the ball down pass and run at em they won’t know what’s hit em so take us at your own peril…1-3 Argo

Les Miserable wrote:

Is this being shown live anywhere?

just asked the same question know of a stream/where to buy game….where it’s a 5.30 ko I got a feeling there FA are streaming the game abroad maybe

it's ,meant to be on espn+ in america

even with a vpn can't see it on there. but searching

Being shown by viprow. Listed among all the games they're showing. About a minute behind real time. J

PlymptonPilgrim wrote:

Pretty much certain that the players not travelling to Brum, will be destined for Preston.

i cant be convinced otherwise its an absolute fact covid is just a hoax story

Jethro wrote:

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whatever was tweeted has been deleted

I needed VPN because of my malware

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Angry wrote:

Jethro wrote:

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whatever was tweeted has been deleted

the game is on Betfair and bet 365 ,
Not appeared on hesgoal yet.

I am whatching WYC v Sunderland now on the VIP above

Got coventry derby with what I think is Spanish coms ,