Birmingham City player handed a fresh chance to cement starting spot after Ethan Laird injury blow: View | OneFootball

Wayne Rooney will be looking to pick up only his second win as Birmingham City manager when they travel to face Coventry City on Friday night.

The Blues claimed their first win under the former Derby County manager last week, as they beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 but they followed up that important victory with a heavy defeat at Blackburn Rovers and then a dull 0-0 draw at home to Rotherham United.

These results have done nothing to ease the pressure on Rooney as he tries to implement his ideas.

Birmingham head into this game sitting in mid-table, seven points above the relegation zone and seven adrift of the play-offs.

So, these upcoming games will be key to what the club can achieve this season. Birmingham have suffered a lot with injuries, and there may be another concern heading into Friday’s game as Ethan Laird looks doubtful.

Laird joined the Blues on a permanent basis in the summer, and he has since become a firm fixture in the starting XI.

However, the problem has been that he’s missed several games due to injury, and after being back for the last four matches, he suffered another blow in the game against Rotherham.

The right-back had to be substituted midway through the first half of Saturday’s game, and speaking afterward, Rooney provided a concerning update.

He told Birmingham Live: “He felt his groin was tight. I don’t know if it’s gone completely, or whether it’s just tight. That’s something we’ll monitor over the next 24-48 hours. We’ll get to the bottom of it and, hopefully, it’s not too bad.”

Birmingham will hope this injury isn’t too serious, but if it is another spell on the sidelines, it could present another opportunity for someone else.

Cody Drameh handed fresh chance to cement starting spot

Obviously, Rooney and Birmingham will hope that Laird’s injury isn’t too bad and he can be available for Coventry or, in the worst case, their next game after that.

But for Cody Drameh, while he will want his teammate to be fit, it presents an opportunity for him to cement his starting spot under Rooney.

Drameh is on loan at Birmingham from Leeds United for this season, and since joining the club, he has been a regular in the side.

The full-back was a starter under John Eustace and then under Rooney, as Laird was still on the sidelines, but once the former Manchester United man was back to full fitness, Drameh found himself playing in the left-back role.

The Leeds loanee will be glad he is playing, but he would likely be more comfortable in his more familiar right-back slot.

The 21-year-old played in that role against Blackburn but lost his place against Rotherham, and depending on how bad Laird’s injury is, Drameh could get another chance to show Rooney why he should be starting at right-back more often.

The defender has started 51 of the 54 Championship games he has played in, during which he has yet to score in the competition but has recorded eight assists. Drameh has proven to be a good attacking outlet in the Championship, and that shows with his 115 progressive carries and 149 progressive passes in the second tier, as per Fbref.com.

The Leeds man has attempted 2351 passes in his many Championship appearances, with 1640 being completed, and that sees him have a pass completion rate of 69.8%, and he has made 56 key passes in all.

Those numbers are proof that Drameh is very good going forward, but the 21-year-old is also well-equipped to do his defensive duties, with him completing 116 of his 183 tackles attempted. He has also made 79 blocks and 54 interceptions, as per Fbref.com.

So, Drameh is very much capable of replacing Laird; it is just whether he can do enough to convince Rooney he is the better option at right-back. With his future still up in the air, cementing a place in the starting XI could lead to a contract offer in the summer.