Chris Davis could hand Birmingham City lifeline to rarely-seen Blues player after Kyogo update | OneFootball

Kanya Fujimoto could be given a Birmingham City lifeline by Chris Davies following Kyogo Furuhashi's recent injury

Kanya Fujimoto has been left in the dark for much of his time at Birmingham City since his summer switch from Portuguese side Gil Vicente, but could be handed a lifeline at the club by boss Chris Davies following a fresh injury to Kyogo Furuhashi.

Birmingham City have their sights set on the top six this campaign, with the Blues' winter dealings indicating their ambition to force their way into the play-off places come the end of the season.

The attacking additions of the likes of Carlos Vicente, Ibrahim Osman, and August Priske show Davies' intent to hit the back of the net on a much more regular basis, whilst the likes of Kai Wagner, Jhon Solis, and Jonathan Panzo add stability in other areas of the side.

They have not been shy about spending this winter, nor were they during the summer, with many forgetting the £10 million that they spent to bring Japanese forward Kyogo Furuhashi to St Andrews from French club Rennes, such as how little impact he has had.

Kyogo has scored just once in 26 league appearances this campaign since his move, and recently missed out on Blues' enthralling FA Cup clash with Leeds United, falling to the Premier League outfit only on penalties.

His absence paved a way back into the squad for compatriot and fellow outcast Kanya Fujimoto, who may yet have a part to play this season if Davies affords him the chance.

Indeed, Kyogo, alongside Tomoki Iwata, missed Birmingham's home clash against Leeds in the FA Cup at the weekend due to an injury, though Davies said: "Both injury issues, but not big ones. I’m pretty sure they are both minor ones."

A timescale for when the Japanese forward may return to action has not yet been revealed, though in his absence, it could provide a chance for Fujimoto, who has found himself on the fringes of the Blues squad ever since his free switch from Portuguese side Gil Vicente in the summer.

Fujimoto scored five and assisted six in the top flight of Portugal less than a year ago, but the 26-year-old has seen his career stall since his move to England, being afforded less than 100 minutes of action across all first-team competitions.

He did make a 37-minute cameo in Blues' draw with Leeds, where he had the chance to seal a winner late on, only for his goal-bound shot to be blocked by a Leeds defender.

Had he scored, Davies would have had a tough time not providing him with another opportunity, and whether the attacking-midfielder will be given the chance to earn some more minutes remains to be seen.

However, with Kyogo currently unavailable, it provides Fujimoto with a better chance of getting on to the pitch in the coming fixtures, though he still finds himself way down in the pecking order.

It hasn't been an ideal maiden campaign in England's second city for Fujimoto, but he could yet rescue it if Davies provides him with some more minutes in the next weeks.

Chris Davies may turn to Kanya Fujimoto to bolster Birmingham City's promotion prospects

Birmingham find themselves well within contention for the top six with less than a third of the season to go, sitting just two points off the play-off places.

Though, despite that, they are just four points off 16th place, with a large cluster of teams tightly congested in the middle of the pack, with everything still to play for.

Birmingham and Davies will more than fancy their chances of breaking into the top six come May, especially having had one of the strongest January windows in the division.

However, Davies could yet turn to one of his summer arrivals in Fujimoto to bolster their ambitions, with the Japanese midfielder vying for his chance to make an impact, which he very nearly did against Leeds.

Davies has nothing to lose in providing Fujimoto with a shot in the first team, especially with Kyogo injured, and could well prove to be the difference-maker they are looking for.