Forgotten Birmingham City player set for surprise role - Chris Davies has made his feelings clear | OneFootball

Alfons Sampsted is set to have a supporting role in the Birmingham City side over the Christmas period

Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has revealed that Alfons Sampsted will have a key role to play in the squad over the coming month, despite seemingly being deemed surplus to requirements this past summer.

The Icelandic international made 17 appearances in League One for Blues last season on loan from Dutch side FC Twente, with only four coming from the off. A permanent move was triggered once it became mathematically impossible for Chris Davies' side to be relegated to the fourth tier.

Despite this, Birmingham still upgraded the right-back position with the signing of Bright Osayi-Samuel to compete with Ethan Laird.

Even when Laird was struck down with a hamstring injury in September, seeing him out until February, central midfielder Tomoki Iwata was moulded into a temporary right-back in his absence, pushing Sampsted even further down the pecking order.

However, with a packed schedule and Osayi-Samuel now not available due to international duty, Birmingham Livehas reported that the 27-year-old will be an integral part of the side in the coming weeks.

"No pathway out" for Alfons Sampsted as Birmingham City's forgotten man set to return

Sampsted wasn't involved in any of Birmingham's opening seven matchday squads in the Championship season. Since then, he has been in and out of the side, managing two cameo bench appearances in games against Preston North End and Watford.

However, according to a report from BirminghamLive, Blues boss Chris Davies is expecting that the 27-year-old will be an "important" player over the next month, given that he's now the only traditional fit right-back in the squad, given Laird's injury and Osayi-Samuel's AFCON commitments with Nigeria.

Given Sampsted's international pedigree and success playing for the likes of Twente and Bodø/Glimt in the past, there will definitely have been some interest in taking the full-back away from St Andrew's, but Davies is prepared to block any approaches.

"I think Alfons is going to be important, and I've spoken to him about that," said Davies.

"He hasn't played much at all, and I think there'll be interest in him definitely, but with Bright going away — and we're not sure when he's going to come back — with Ethan also injured, Alfons is now an important part, and he needs to take his chance when it comes.

"I'm sure he'll be on the pitch soon, so there's no pathway out of the club for Fons just yet. We just have to keep working with him, and hopefully he can take his chance."

Alfons Sampsted has a massive opportunity to reignite his Birmingham City career

With Iwata being the starting right-back for the majority of games in the last two months or so, it's expected that Sampsted may still be a back-up, but he'll be the first person in line to replace the Japanese star if he needs to be rested over the coming weeks.

If he does start a game in the next month, it'd be his first league start since Easter Monday, when he actually scored in a 2-1 win over Burton Albion.

The last eight months or so have been difficult for the Icelandic full-back, but he will have an opportunity to show Chris Davies why he should be considered for more regular football in the Blues' first team in the coming weeks.

If he can perform to his best, it may open up even more transfer interest towards the end of the window if the Birmingham boss opts for Oseyi-Samuel as back-up once he returns.

On the flip side, it could see his career at St Andrew's take an unexpected turn towards a lengthier stay, after being deemed surplus to requirements in the summer.