"Can't see him going in January" - Future of out-of-favour Birmingham City player assessed | OneFootball

FLW's Birmingham City fan pundit discusses Dion Sanderson's future at the club after just two appearances.

This article is part of Football League World’s 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Dion Sanderson's place in the pecking order at Birmingham City has dropped this season despite the club's relegation to League One.

The central defender only arrived permanently last year for a reported fee in the region of £2 million and heading into the summer, was the only recognised centre-back at the club.

Former Celtic and Spurs coach Chris Davies was looking to rebuild a squad capable of punching its way out of League One at the first attempt. He has certainly been backed and that included defensive reinforcements to bolster his pool of central options at Blues.

He currently has Krystian Bielik, who recently signed a new deal and is accomplished at second-tier and international level, Sanderson, who was previously club captain and has been an ever-present for the last two years, as well as new signings Ben Davies and Christoph Klarer, all at his disposal.

That has seen Sanderson's game time diminish this season, with the 24-year-old joining permanently from Wolverhampton Wanderers to move to Blues last summer after previously impressing in his two loan spells with the club.

He started and played 90 minutes in the first game of the season against Reading and in the EFL Cup clash against Charlton Athletic, but has not been involved in any matchday squad since then.

Birmingham City reaction to Dion Sanderson's situation

FLW's Birmingham City fan pundit Mike Gibbs has explained that he is not concerned about Sanderson leaving in January and expects his opportunity will come at some stage between now and then.

However, he admitted that he would not be surprised if Sanderson departed the club next summer instead. He said: "I'm not sure I would say I fear for his future.

"The reason I say that is, yes, he is fourth place in line now. A great performance from Davies in the week and the fact Klarer and Bielik have formed a really strong partnership.

"I just don't think he'll get in and I think he is going to struggle for game time.

"I can't see him going in January, personally. But maybe it is a conversation for next summer, and I think time will tell.

"He will get an opportunity. That's definite.

"He will get one and it's whether he takes it or not.

"At the moment, we are relatively well-placed from a centre-half perspective."

Dion Sanderson's Birmingham City future

During his time at St. Andrew's, the 24-year-old has made nearly 100 appearances and was appointed as the club's captain for the 2023/24 campaign.

However, Sanderson's first season as skipper fell below expectations, with the defender stripped of the captaincy before the conclusion of the campaign having been charged for drink-driving late on in the campaign and underperforming for much of 2023/24.

Having said that, the 24-year-old should be one of the best defenders in League One if called upon and has the experience and quality to make a difference for a side chasing promotion like Birmingham.