Birmingham Mail

Pedersen, Halilovic and Birmingham City's latest Covid-19 situation as Manchester City loom

Birmingham Mail logo Birmingham Mail 8/01/2021 15:34:22 Brian Dick

Birmingham City boss Aitor Karanka has promised to pick his strongest team for the FA Cup trip to Manchester City this weekend.

It is a team that has so far remained mercifully free of the coronavirus issues which have blighted other Championship and West Midlands clubs.

And it is also one reinforced by the return to fitness of Marc Roberts, who has recovered from the ankle injury he picked up at Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day.

On Sunday the 30-year-old could come back into the side to face City record-breaker Sergio Aguero as the Argentine makes his first start since October.

"I am not going to reserve any players thinking about the following game against Middlesbrough," Karanka said.

"Because if I want a committed, organised team on the pitch I need to be the first one to show them that I want to win the game.

"If my message is 'I want to win the game' and I put in players who are not playing or maybe they are not good enough for that game, I am making a big mistake."

Karanka also revealed Blues have conducted another, positive-free, round of Covid-19 tests.

"Not just in football, in life it has been a tough situation for everybody, touch wood we have been good until now, we have had just one positive case with Jukey.

"I hope we can keep going in the same way because the medical department is working really well and we are transmitting to the players they have to look after themselves.

"Until this moment we have not had a lot of positives - but it is true it is a concern.

"We had one test this week and we will have two every week from now, I am really pleased,

"I hope that tomorrow we will not have two or three positives because I think we are doing really well and the players are looking after themselves really well."

Blues will be without two players for the trip to the Etihad, however.

"Both Gary Gardner and Alen Halilovic are the only two players who are not available to play on Sunday because the rest of the players are fit. Robbo and Kristian [Pedersen] have trained with the team this week."

Pedersen has not played since being substitued in bizarre circumstances, seconds before the second half with Derby County was about to start.

Karanka admits the Dane didn't handle the situation ideally - but that the issue is now over with.

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"I am not upset with him, it is something he has to learn but I can't be frustrated and not take the right decision because he made a mistake.

"I have got to think about the game on Sunday and if I feel Kristian is the best for that game he will play and if I feel he is the best for the following game he will play, or if I think he is not good for those games another player will play.

"It's past, I think everybody can learn from mistakes, he has trained today and trained really, really well. He is a very good player and he can help us a lot."

vendredi 8 janvier 2021 17:34:22 Categories: Birmingham Mail

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