Sunderland AFC's Patrick Roberts could be big Birmingham City loser from shock injury update | OneFootball

Patrick Roberts' starting role for Birmingham may be under threat as Willium Willumsson return from injury is immanent

Patrick Roberts' starting role for Birmingham may be under threat as injury concerns start to ease for fellow teammate Willium Willumsson.

For Sunderland loanee Patrick Roberts, it's not been the ideal start to his Birmingham City career, having failed to find his feet for the Blues yet, despite being a regular starter in Chris Davies' side.

After being very much part of the fixtures and fittings at Sunderland over the past three years in a starting role for the Black Cats, after making the step-up to the Premier League, unsurprisingly, Regis le Bris had clear plans to improve his squad over the summer, to Roberts' dismay.

After falling out of favour with the manager, the 28-year-old departed the North East and to complete a season-long loan deal to the newly promoted Birmingham City. Having made seven league appearances for the Blues, the winger hasn't taken the Championship by storm, but has made a steady start under Davies, who has commonly opted for the Manchester City academy graduate to be his first choice on the right-hand side.

However, his starting role may well be in danger, as per a Football League World exclusive, it has been revealed that Birmingham City's Willum Willumsson is ahead of schedule for a return from injury, which could affect Robert's game time.

Patrick Roberts' minutes could be limited by the return of Willum Willumsson

For Roberts, the reason for leaving the Stadium of Light on a temporary basis was to receive regular playing time and Birmingham was a solid destination in getting just that. With other offers on the table such as the likes of Derby County, a move to back down to the second tier seemed like the best option in order to become a 90-minute man. However, that may well be under threat with the return of Willumsson on the horizon.

Roberts netted his first of the season away at Wrexham to earn his side a point as well as proving an assist in the Blues' 1-0 win over Swansea City. The winger has popped up with a couple of key contributions, but with Willumsson potentially in line to make a return prior to the November international break, it may not be enough to fend off the Iceland international. This could spell trouble for him going forward.

Originally, Willumsson wasn't expected back until the next transfer window. However, the 27-year-old is making a speedy recovery and with him soon to be back in the running for team selection, you'd seem to think he would be in Davies' favour, having tallied up six goals and assists last term for the Blues.

Willumsson is a real asset to Birmingham's attacking options, as he showed last season by being able to operate as both an attacking midfielder and down the wing. His twelve goal contributions that he clocked up last season have been dearly missed at the start of this campaign as the Blues currently average less than a goal per game with 11 scored in 12.

You'd seem to think that if Roberts doesn't start producing on a consistent basis, then his starting spot on the right may be taken by the Iceland international in the near future.

Patrick Roberts can still be a game changer for Chris Davies' Birmingham City

Whilst there's no denying that Roberts is a top-level Championship winger, as shown throughout his time with the Black Cats, attacking returns have a common downside to his game.

With Roberts not necessarily having that keen eye for goal and that natural goalscoring instinct, he is very much a creator. And one that perhaps doesn't get the plaudits he deserves for his link-up play. Last season was Roberts' most successful in his career, assisting seven times in the league as well as setting up Eliezer Mayenda's equaliser in Sunderland's 2-1 play-off final triumph against Sheffield United.

It could be said that Roberts has been somewhat unlucky to merely have one goal and assist to his name this season, as he has been a creative machine for the Blues. According to Fotmob, the winger is creating 2.51 chances per 90 on average, which highlights his willingness to bring others into play. However, it's not just in an attacking sense that Roberts is a handy asset, as the winger also averages 5.01 recoveries per 90, which gives him an edge over Willumsson from a defensive outlook.

We're yet to see the best of Roberts in a Blues shirt, but with it being very early days, the looming return of Willumsson may give the 28-year-old the competition he needs in order to fight for his place in the starting XI. It will for sure be a healthy problem for Davies having two top talents at his disposal.

If Roberts is to cement the right-wing position as his own, then attacking returns need to come his way. As for Willumsson, he will be patiently waiting in the wings for his opportunity, but Blues fans will hope that he can provide the spark that they've been missing in forward areas so far.