George Hall continued his comeback with 60 minutes for Birmingham City’s under-21s on Monday. The 19-year-old played an hour in the 2-2 draw with Burnley after making his first appearance since August on November 12.
Hall travelled to Sunderland with the team before the international break but Wayne Rooney decided against including him in the squad at the Stadium of Light. Rooney is keen to tread carefully with Hall, who has sustained three separate hamstring injuries in seven months and played just two matches as a result.
Speaking before the Sunderland game, Rooney explained: “He’s a player we have to be careful with because he’s an explosive player. He has had recurring injuries in the past, so we have been looking into how we manage him and how we get him up to full speed.
“He is not going to be one we just throw straight back in, the way Ethan Laird was for instance. We have to really build up (Hall) and make sure we get him right. I think he’s a player who will take a little bit of time to get up to full fitness and we must monitor that because the last thing we want is him getting injured again.”
Wayne Rooney could be boosted by the return of left-back Lee Buchanan for the game against the Owls. Buchanan is approaching two months out due to an ankle injury but Rooney expects him back imminently.
The Blues manager said: “I’m hoping that Lee will be available for Sheffield Wednesday. Keshi (Anderson) and Tyler Roberts may be a little bit longer, but gradually we are starting to get players back. Hopefully we have Lee back for Sheffield Wednesday.”
Kevin Long is a doubt after picking up a calf injury before the defeat to Sunderland, while Alfie Chang – who signed a new contract last week – is a long-term absentee. Rooney will be hoping Jay Stansfield, Jordan James, Juninho Bacuna and Neil Etheridge return from their international trips unscathed. Here is the latest Blues injury news…
Lee Buchanan
Injury: Ankle
Buchanan rolled his ankle during a training session seven weeks ago after making a strong start to the season. Rooney is hopeful Buchanan will be fit to return after the international break.
Kevin Long
Injury: Calf
Long missed Blues’ trip to Sunderland after injuring his calf in training. Rooney confirmed: “He hurt his calf and he hasn’t trained for the last few days so he wasn’t available.”
Keshi Anderson
Injury: Hamstring
Anderson had to be replaced by Oliver Burke shortly before half-time after pulling up in the middle of the park against QPR. Anderson – who only made nine appearances in the Championship last term for Blackpool due to a succession of injuries – has missed Blues’ last eight games.
Tyler Roberts
Injury: Calf
Roberts completed pre-season, despite having to manage a groin complaint towards the end of it, and started the opening day draw with Swansea City. He was withdrawn after 60 minutes and rested for the Carabao Cup victory over Cheltenham Town.
Having trained all week Roberts was expected to start against his former club Leeds United on August 12 before picking up a new injury on the eve of the match. Three months on, Roberts is still sidelined after some setbacks.
Alfie Chang
Injury: Knee
Chang is set for an extended period on the sidelines after suffering a serious knee injury during training on August 22. The midfielder was a fixture in Blues’ matchday squads under former boss John Eustace and was playing the role of back-up to midfield pairing Krystian Bielik and Ivan Sunjic. Having undergone surgery on his injured ACL, Chang is now working in the gym at Blues’ training base.
GET MORE ON FAXSOCCER.COM
