It’s looking Pears-shaped for club with goalkeeping dilemma
BLUES’ goalkeeping department is expected to undergo a revamp in the summer.
Experienced pair John Ruddy, 37, and Neil Etheridge, 34, are both out of contract in July and there hasn’t yet been any indication either will be kept on by the club.
The Birmingham Post understands Blackburn keeper Aynsley Pears is a player of interest. The 25-year-old is under contract at Ewood Park until 2027, which means Blues would be required to pay a fee for him.
Pears has made 17 appearances for Rovers this season and has started all of their games since the appointment of former Blues head coach John
Eustace earlier this month.
He has only kept two clean sheets this term for a Blackburn side who have the second-worst defensive record in the Championship.
Blues manager Tony Mowbray knows all about Pears having signed him for Blackburn from his hometown club Middlesbrough in 2020.
Meanwhile, Alex Pritchard was due to return to training this week after an injury-hit beginning to his Blues career.
Former Sunderland attacker Pritchard, 30, hasn’t featured for Blues since suffering a calf injury on his debut against West Bromwich Albion. As a result, Pritchard has missed matches against Sheffield Wednesday, Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland, and sat out the trip to Ipswich Town on Saturday.
“Alex is going to train on Monday. That will be another player fit and ready for selection,” said Blues assistant manager Mark Venus.
Another attacking option Blues will soon be blessed with is George Hall.
The 19-year-old, who was crowned Young Player of the Year last season, has only played 58 minutes of senior football since April due to four hamstring injuries.
Hall played 45 minutes for the under-21s last week and is progressing towards a first-team comeback. Venus, like Mowbray before him, has stressed the need to tread carefully with Hall.
Venus said: “George is fit and has played some under-21 minutes. Because of his injury record, George is being nurtured along a little bit slower than the other players. George is a young player who has got a lot of assets.”
Sunderland have handed former Blues youth coach Mike Dodds the top job at the Stadium of Light on an interim basis – and he could stay in the post long-term if he does well. Dodds was taken to Sunderland by former Blues academy chief Kristjaan Speakman, now the Black Cats’ sporting director, and has been put in charge on a temporary basis until the summer following the dismissal of Michael Beale.
Sunderland made a losing start under Dodds at the weekend when Swansea City clinched a 2-1 win at the Stadium of Light.