The 11 players set to miss Birmingham v Middlesbrough ft. 23-cap international | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at all of the players set to miss Birmingham City's home clash with Middlesbrough on Monday night

Monday night Championship football brings a mouthwatering clash at St. Andrew's between Birmingham City and Middlesbrough, with Chris Davies' side looking to bounce back from their disappointing 3-0 defeat away to Millwall in the week, as Boro look for their first win in four.

Following their promotion from League One last season with a record-breaking 111 points, Birmingham emerged as strong contenders for the top six this campaign under head coach Davies, and whilst they are still well within a shout for a play-off place, Blues fans may have been hoping for a bit more at this stage.

Middlesbrough, in the meantime, have cemented themselves as real automatic promotion contenders, firstly under Rob Edwards and now under Kim Hellberg, with the Teesside outfit going neck-and-neck with Coventry City for a place at the summit of the table.

With so much at stake, this fixture is bound to be an enthralling one, as FLW takes a look at the players from both sides who are set to play no part in the game, either due to suspension or injury.

Jhon Solis

Signed from Spanish side Girona in the January window, Colombian midfielder Jhon Solis linked up with Davies' side this winter to bolster the Blues' ranks in the middle of the park.

However, the 21-year-old is set to miss this fixture after sustaining a red card in Birmingham's recent defeat to Millwall after picking up two yellows, making him unavailable for selection as a result.

Kai Wagner

One of three injuries at left-back in Birmingham's ranks, German defender Wagner, like Solis, was signed in the January window, with Birmingham agreeing a deal with Philadelphia Union to bring him back to Europe.

Wagner was replaced by right-back Ethan Laird just after the hour mark of Birmingham's loss to Millwall and looks to be unavailable on Monday night, creating a headache for Davies in that area of the field.

Paik Seung-Ho

South Korean midfielder Paik Seung-Ho sustained a shoulder injury in Birmingham's goalless draw at home to West Brom in mid-February and has been out of action ever since.

The 23-cap South Korea international is not expected to be back until later this month, and therefore is expected to play no part on Monday night.

Kyogo Furuhashi

Kyogo Furuhashi has endured a difficult start to life in Birmingham following his eight-figure move from French side Stade Rennes in the summer, with the Japanese forward having only scored once in 26 league appearances this season.

When he has played, it has come more often than not off the bench, and having not appeared in a squad since their 0-0 draw at home to West Brom, he is not expected to return for this one.

Lee Buchanan

It's been a torrid year or so for left-back Lee Buchanan, who has spent nearly 15 months out of action due to an ACL injury.

The 24-year-old has returned to first-team training as of late, though he is not expected to play a part anytime soon, even with the current lack of options in that area, as he begins his journey back to fitness.

Alex Cochrane

The final injury at left-back in the Blues ranks and the final one to report overall, Alex Cochrane's last appearance in a Birmingham shirt came in their 3-0 away defeat to Watford on New Year's Day.

Since then, the former Hearts defender has failed to make an appearance in a matchday squad, with that looking unlikely to change heading into Monday night.

Luke Ayling

In what could prove to be a big miss for Middlesbrough, 34-year-old right-back turned centre-back Luke Ayling was hooked off in the latter stages of Boro's 1-1 draw with Leicester City last time out.

It's unknown at this stage how significant an injury the former Leeds United man has sustained, with Dael Fry looking primed to partner Adilson Malanda in the heart of the Boro defence for this one.

Alex Bangura

Another player who has suffered a vastly unfortunate time over the past year or so is Sierra Leonean left-back Alex Bangura.

The 26-year-old made a long-awaited return to action in late November and managed eight appearances before once again picking up an injury just after the new year, and has not appeared on Hellberg's side since.

Alfie Jones

Yet another injury in the Middlesbrough defence and not quite the last, centre-back Alfie Jones was forced off after just 17 minutes of Boro's goalless draw at home to Blackburn on Boxing Day, and has been out of action ever since.

The former Hull City defender underwent surgery on his ankle due to the injury, and is expected to return soon, though this fixture comes slightly too early for him just yet.

Darragh Lenihan

The final injury at the back for Boro, with George Edmundson set to return to action after resuming training, Irish defender Darragh Lenihan has made just two league appearances this season, with none coming under Hellberg.

Indeed, Lenihan missed a vast portion of last campaign due to injury, which has continued into this one, which has resulted of him being omitted from the club's EFL squad registration, meaning his time in Boro colours could well be up.