2 Birmingham City team dilemmas facing Lee Bowyer ahead of Stoke clash

Birmingham City make the reasonably short trip to Championship rivals Stoke City in search of another three points and in a bid to register a respectable league finish this term.

They may have less to play for than their opponents this afternoon – but it’s another opportunity for the likes of new signings Lyle Taylor, Onel Hernandez and Juninho Bacuna to settle into life with the Blues with all three already impressing.

Consistency will be key if they are to remain as high in supporters’ estimations as they currently are, along with the whole team if they want to improve on the lower mid-table mediocrity they haven’t been able to get themselves out of in recent years.

Under the stewardship of Lee Bowyer, they have a real chance to elevate themselves to a different status but will still be the underdogs coming into this tie with Michael O’Neill’s men contenders to secure a place in the play-offs at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

The Potters will still be ruing the fact they were unable to take three points away from their tie against Nottingham Forest last weekend after burying a penalty against a side that were reduced to ten men following the Brice Samba incident.

Focusing more on this afternoon’s visitors at the bet365 Stadium though, we discuss two Birmingham dilemmas facing Bowyer going into this clash.

Worth creating a defensive contingency plan?

The Blues’ manager has revealed Marc Roberts and George Friend are both still out of action and won’t be available for this tie, leaving the West Midlands outfit with a shortage of options at the back again.

Marcel Oakley was available as an option off the bench in their last match – but he’s only 19 and mainly plies his trade on the right-hand side and may not be a