The 11 players set to miss Birmingham City v Leicester City ft. £13m Foxes star | OneFootball

Birmingham City take on Leicester City at St. Andrew's on Saturday in what is a huge game for both clubs.

Birmingham City will look to maintain their positive recent form on Saturday when they take on a Leicester City side who are now battling to stay in the Championship after a new setback.

Blues have invested heavily again in the January transfer window, with Chris Davies’ side on a five-game unbeaten run, although they still trail the play-off places by five points.

So, they will be determined to keep building momentum, and they will fancy their chances against a Leicester outfit that are four without a win, whilst the six-point deduction they have been hit with means the managerless Foxes are only outside the relegation zone on goal difference.

That means the stakes are high for this game, but Birmingham have been very impressive on their own patch under Davies, so they will start as favourites, and here we run down the absentees for the fixture...

11 ? ? Lee Buchanan

Lee Buchanan has been out injured since the end of December 2024 after suffering a terrible knee injury against Blackpool when Blues were in League One.

The left-back is now at the stage where he is getting closer to a return, and there was a suggestion he could depart in January on loan, although that didn't materialise.

However, Buchanan is still nowhere near full fitness, so he won't be in consideration, and Blues will understandably be cautious with the former Derby man.

10 ? ? Alex Cochrane

Birmingham's issues at left-back continue, with Alex Cochrane's ankle problem forcing Birmingham into the market last month - Kai Wagner joined from Philadelphia Union, and he has quickly settled into the starting 11.

It's likely to be his shirt for the foreseeable future as well, with Cochrane not scheduled to return until April, which is a blow for Davies, as the ex-Hearts man had been a very reliable figure since his arrival from Tynecastle.

9 ? ? Ethan Laird

Switching to the opposite flank, right-back Ethan Laird last featured for Blues towards the end of September before suffering a 'high grade' hamstring injury.

Pleasingly, he is closing in on a return, as he is expected back training with the group, so it's not beyond the question that he is an option for Davies this month, which will be a welcome boost for the boss given Laird's quality and energy down the right side.

8 ? ? Jack Robinson

Summer signing Jack Robinson hasn't played since the win over Cambridge in the FA Cup, where, like Laird, he suffered a hamstring injury.

Thankfully for Blues, it wasn't as bad, but it has already caused the former Sheffield United man to miss around a month at a time when Birmingham were short on options at the back.

Davies has previously stated Robinson should return to training in February, so he could also be involved at some point this month.

7 ? ? Demarai Gray

Birmingham winger Demarai Gray has been out with a calf problem since Boxing Day, but there was good news from Davies' latest press conference as he revealed that Gray could return to the squad against Leeds United in the FA Cup tie next weekend.

So, whilst he will miss the game against his old club, which is a blow for Blues, Gray is close to coming back, and he will hope to play a big role for the team over the next few months.

6 ? ? Caleb Okoli

Leicester endured a terrible afternoon against Charlton last time out, with £13 million defender Caleb Okoli sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity in their eventual 2-0 defeat to the Addicks.

It was poor defending from the Italian, and he will now serve a one-game suspension against Birmingham, although there was some good news for interim boss Andy King, with Jannik Vestergaard back in contention, so he could replace Okoli in central defence.

5 ? ? Hamza Choudhury

Midfielder Hamza Choudhury was forced off in the first half against Charlton, so it was always going to be a long shot for him to be involved a week later, and King has confirmed the versatile Bangladesh international is set for a spell out with a knee problem.

The 28-year-old won't just miss the game at St. Andrew's, as he is going to be out for around a month. With Leicester's situation, this is a setback the club didn't need.

4 ? ? Victor Kristiansen

Victor Kristiansen hasn't played since the start of November, so whilst King confirmed the Dane was back in training ahead of the Charlton game, it is believed this game will still come too soon.

That is a sensible approach, and it suggests it won't be too long before Kristiansen is back involved for the Foxes.

3 ? ? Harry Souttar

Giant Aussie defender Harry Souttar hasn't played a game since December 2024 due to an Achilles injury he suffered whilst on loan at Sheffield United, where he was impressing.

Given the nature of the issue, Leicester are understandably cautious about how they will ease Souttar back into action, so whilst he has been back with the group, it's unclear when he will be back on the pitch - but it won't be at Birmingham.

2 ? ? Jordan James

Jordan James has been a standout performer for Leicester this season, so the hamstring injury he suffered at Wrexham in January was a massive blow, and the Wales international has been missed.

Unfortunately for the club, he was ruled out for at least a month, so he is still, at best, a few weeks away from full fitness. Therefore, James will be watching on when the Foxes take on his former club.