Birmingham City Team News

Birmingham City | News | Latest | Latest | EARLY TEAM NEWS FOR EVERTON GAME

"Gardner and Ferguson are still out, but we think Jiranek has a chance and will be okay," said Alex McLeish speaking on Tuesday.

"We'll have a look at Zigic this afternoon because he is on the borderline.

It isn't sounding very encouraging for Zigic owners.

Meanwhile Nikola Zigic will attempt to train with his teammates this afternoon to see if he is fit enough to make the trip up the M6, following the groin problem that kept him on the subs' bench against West Brom.

Attempt to train the day before the match. Anyone laying odds here?

And while we're betting, what are the chances Martins underperforms Zigic again, regardles of whether or not the big Serb even plays? #notbitter

Injuries and Suspensions

Premier League team news - ESPN Soccernet

Here are my fantasy-related thoughts on the injury news which can be found in more detail on the other side of the link above.

• Smalling In - With Rio and Evans out, Smalling will deputize at CB.  #ChinkInArmor
• de Jong Doubtful - There may be more goals than you think in this match with Rio and de Jong both potentially out. #WeakenedSpines
  
• Saha Out - He made it easy on managers who were contemplating keeping him for the one match week by injuring himself significantly. #Fragile
• Luiz Starts - Unless he's a disaster, you have to think this will be CHE's preferred defensive group ACole - JT - Luiz - Ivanovic. #NoRotationPlease
• Bale/VDV/Modric Out - Crouch is doubtful as well plus long term injuries to King, Woody, and Kaboul.  Not good times.  #IsThisSpursOrArsenal?
• Kelly Passed Fit - For those holding Kelly, it looks like he'll at least get LIV's one match this week. #Recovered
• RSC Healthy - We'll see how long it lasts but file this away as one to pay attention to over the weekend. #BDWatch
• Martins Included - With Martins included in the squad, there is still uncertainty about how much he'll play in the first match against Stoke. #TwoMonthLayoff
• ARS Injuries - RvP is healthy (shocking so quickly after bowing out of Holland squad), Djourou back, Diaby/Sicky out.  #AllGoodNews

Join us bright and early for the Manchester Derby Live Chat right here on this very web page.  We'll stick around for Arsenal and all of the other matches after that.  Have a great weekend if we don't see you on the chat, comments section, Twitter (@nealjthurman and @jspitzberg), Facebook, or well, you get the idea.

Martins set for debut

Martins set for debut | Birmingham City - EatSleepSport

Obafemi Martins has been given the green light to make his Birmingham debut and is set to be in Saturday's squad to face Stoke...

However, the Nigeria international has now been given the go-ahead to play and is expected to be involved when Birmingham look for another vital win against the Potters this weekend...

"We're looking for Oba to come in and make an impact right away," said McLeish.

He's cheap and has a great history in the Premier League. I would definitely look to OBAFEMI! if you weren't able to get Carew on the barn door... or even if you did!

If I Were Running Things

Well, it would appear that we have reached the end of the Thierry Henry era at Arsenal. Really a sad day. First Vieira, then Highbury and Bergkamp, and now Henry (and rumors of Wenger to follow). Quite a sad day to be a Gooner but time to brush aside the sentiment and start thinking about what they should do to ensure that while some of the names have changed, the legacy continues to live on. In that vein, here's what I'd do if I were Arsene Wenger...

1) Get on with the business of selling off the rest of the spare parts...the combination of Reyes, Ljungberg, and Hleb probably drives the total influx of cash to £30M. Get those deals done!

2) Exercise that buy-out clause in Obafemi Martins' contract and bring him to London rumor has that price tag at £13M...

3) Throw £8M to £10M at West Brom for Curtis Davies.

4) Finish the job by pipping Chelsea and Liverpool to Malouda for about £14M.

That's a total of approximately £35M of which £30M would be coming from the sale of existing players. It would probably make sense to acquire at least one additional striker to make up for the fact that both Martins and Adebayor will be out for the African Nations Cup. Maybe the displaced Javier Saviola who is looking for a home.

Big Sam Wins Race For Smith

"We're getting the band back together!"

Newcastle are believed to have beaten Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and Tottenham to the signing of Manchester United striker Alan Smith.

Magpies boss Sam Allardyce has been a busy man since taking the reins at St James' Park, and is now reported to have added Smith to his list of new recuits, which includes Mark Viduka and Joey Barton.

The Toon chief has moved for Red Devils hitman Smith after discovering that strikers Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins have get-out clauses written into their contracts.

And 26-year-old Smith, who signed a five-year deal in 2004, is ready to leave Old Trafford after being told he will not be offered a new contract.

The former Leeds forward has many admirers, with Gareth Southgate, Martin O'Neill and Martin Jol all keeping tabs on his situation.

But he is believed to have been lured to the North-East by the promise of regular first-team football, which he is unlikely to get at the Theatre of Dreams due to the summer arrivals of Portuguese ace Nani and Brazilian star Anderson.

First Viduka, now Smith. Kewell is available from Liverpool. Danny Mills is persona non grata at Man Citeh (nil). Ian Harte wants to return from Spain. David Batty... well, I guess he already paid his dues at NUFC. "Bakke and Brann have a "gentlemen's agreement that Bakke can leave Brann if a big club want to sign him." (Insert your own joke about "does NUFC qualify" here.) Gary Kelly is still at Leeds who are now in the second (third) division, and NUFC do need a new fullback.



It's all falling into place for David O'Leary... I mean Sam Allardyce.



So does this mean that Owen and Martins are likely to leave, and not just available to leave?

Oops, that's Rowan and Martins. Either way, it's a comedy duo.

Martins Shock For Big Sam

Do the kids still say "mad hops"?

Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins reportedly has a £13million get-out clause in his contract.

The Nigerian striker signed for the Magpies just last summer for £10million, but new boss Sam Allardyce was shocked to discover a similar clause in Martins' contract to that of strike partner Michael Owen, according to The Evening Chronicle.

Owen could quit the club if someone offers £9million for his services, leaving Allardyce in the nightmare position of not knowing if his top two strikers will be at the club for the beginning of next season.

Martins recently said he was happy at Newcastle, but the north-east newspaper claims Arsenal will make a move if they lose Thierry Henry.

I don't know about Oba to Arsenal, but I'm still pushing for Big Sam to utilize his 4-3-3 with Duff, Viduka, and Milner.