Birmingham City host Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship this weekend, with Wayne Rooney still searching for his first win as Blues boss.
Birmingham City welcome bottom club Sheffield Wednesday to St Andrew’s this weekend.
It’s a must-win game for Rooney and his side who’ve slid down into 18th place of the Championship table over the past few weeks, with Rooney having taken just one point from his opening five games in charge.
But ahead of this weekend, Rooney revealed in his pre-match press conference that full-back Lee Buchanan is fit and available for selection, after spending time on the sidelines with an ankle injury.
What has Wayne Rooney said?
Speaking to Birmingham Live, Rooney gave this update on the left-back:
“Lee Buchanan has been training for the last couple of weeks so he is available for selection on Saturday, although whether he plays or not is another matter. Lee is a fantastic player and it’s great to have him back.”
Buchanan, 22, joined on a permanent deal from Werder Bremen in the summer, featuring seven times in the Championship under previous boss John Eustace and impressing before picking up his injury.
Buchanan boost for Birmingham City…
Birmingham City have had no luck with injuries so far this season.
Blues have especially been hit hard in the full-back departments with Buchanan and Ethan Laird both spending time on the sidelines, though Laird has since returned.
Last time out vs Sunderland, Rooney had to deploy to right-backs on either side of defence in Laird and Cody Drameh, with 22-year-old left-back Emmanuel Longelo having lost his place in the side after a string of poor performances.
But Buchanan’s return will add some balance to the side, and will push Longelo to improve his form; his last start was vs Southampton last month in which he was rated 5/10, with local media saying that he was ‘rinsed’ by Kyle Walker-Peters on the day.
Buchanan looked sharp at the start of the season. He’s a very well-rounded defender who worked under Rooney at Derby County in the past, so the Blues boss will certainly be looking at him as someone who can help to implement his methods.
He’s a player who can operate effectively in defence and attack and so he should be ideal for his no fear football that Rooney has been tasked with deploying.
Tomorrow’s game kicks off at 3pm, with a win for Birmingham City able to lift them right back into the mid-table region.