Birmingham City have potentially suffered an injury blow ahead of the League One run in following the news that striker Jay Stansfield has withdrawn from the England under-21 squad.
The £13 million man has enjoyed a remarkable season at St Andrew’s following his big money move from Premier League outfit Fulham in August. He has 16 league goals in just 27 appearances, whilst hitting a further four in their EFL Trophy campaign which will see them face Peterborough United in the final at Wembley Stadium next month.
Despite that, Stansfield has spent time on the treatment table recently. He picked up a worrying injury against Bradford City last month, which subsequently ruled him out of the next three games. The attacker returned to the squad in the 3-1 defeat against Bolton Wanderers but is yet to find the back of the net in four outings since his recovery.
Fresh Injury Concerns?
Stansfield’s form this season had seen him earn another call up to Lee Carsley’s England under-21 squad for the upcoming fixtures against France and Portugal. He has already earned three caps for the Three Lions youngsters, although hasn’t been involved in their last six games.
The 22-year-old’s last appearance came almost a year ago in a 7-0 win over Luxembourg, but he is now set to miss out. News emerged earlier today that the attacker has withdrawn from the squad due to ‘knocks’ and will return to Birmingham for further assessment.
England under-21 will embark on their European Championship campaign in June, where Stansfield will still hope to be a part of Carsley’s plans.
Writer’s View
With no official injury given, it is likely that Stansfield will not spend any time on the sidelines for Birmingham. Their next fixture is still nine days away, where they are set to tackle relegation-threatened Shrewsbury Town. His withdrawal is likely just a precaution that suits all parties. The Blues will be desperate to have their star man fighting fit as they chase down the League One title and EFL Trophy glory, whilst England under-21s may be hoping to call upon his services in the summer.
