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Right Down To The Bare Bones Now

Last updated : 17 April 2004 By Brian Cartlidge

Both have had to miss training sessions this week - Forssell because of a sore knee and Upson with a groin strain - and are rated doubtful for the game at The Valley.

To my reckoning, without those two, the Blues boss would only have 15 players to choose from for the game at The Valley on saturday and that is including Andrew Barrowman and Carl Motteram - neither of whom have made a first team start for Blues as yet.

Looking at the squad and who is on the treatment table clearly shows why young midfielder Neil Kilkenny has been handed a squad number of 34 by the club today. Without wanting to sound disrespectful to young Kilkenny, without another youngster being added to the squad for the trip to South London, Bruce wouldn't have 16 players at his disposal should Upson and Forssell fail to shake off their injuries.

Here's our present squad:

Birmingham City squad details
Player namePositionDate of BirthSquadStatistics
Andrew BarrowmanForward27 Nov 198427Season Career
Ian BennettGoal10 Oct 19711Season Career
Darren CarterMidfield18 Dec 198324Season Career
Aliou CisseMidfield24 Mar 19766Season Career
Jamie ClaphamDefence7 Dec 197523Season Career
Stephen ClemenceMidfield31 Mar 197832Season Career
Kenny CunninghamDefence28 Jun 19714Season Career
David DunnMidfield27 Dec 197916Season Career
Mikael ForssellForward15 Mar 19819Season Career
Martin GraingerDefence23 Aug 19723Season Career
Bryan HughesMidfield19 Jun 197610Season Career
Stern JohnForward30 Oct 197614Season Career
Damien JohnsonMidfield18 Nov 197822Season Career
Stan LazaridisMidfield16 Aug 197211Season Career
Clinton MorrisonForward14 May 197919Season Career
Carl MotteramMidfield03 Sept 1984 28Season Career
Darren PurseDefence14 Feb 19775Season Career
Mathew SadlerDefence26 Feb 198530Season Career
Robbie SavageMidfield18 Oct 19748Season Career
Maik Taylor, MaiGoal4 Sep 197112Season Career
Martin Taylor, MarDefence9 Nov 197915Season Career
Olivier TebilyDefence19 Dec 197526Season Career
Matthew UpsonDefence18 Apr 197925Season Career


We currently have a 23-man squad but take away Carter (hernia), Dunn (hamstring), Grainger (knee), Lazaridis (groin), Purse (ankle) and Sadler (ankle), who are all out injured, and Bruce is left with just 17 players. If Upson and Forssell fail to recover in time for the game at The Valley then without Kilkenny we would only have 15 men! Unbelivable! Has our injury situation ever been so bad?

Not the best way to be going into a game that could have a huge bearing on whether or not Blues can continue their challenge for a European place, thats for sure.