Cody: No Drameh for Blues over boss absence!
CODY Drameh hopes Tony Mowbray’s absence will galvanise Blues. Blues started their run of games without the manager by losing 3-1 to Ipswich at Portman Road on Saturday. Jordan James’ first-half equaliser was cancelled out by late strikes from Ipswich substitutes Jeremy Sarmiento and Omari Hutchinson.
Thoughts again turned to Mowbray afterwards and Drameh was able to shed some light on the meeting the 60-year-old had with his players at the training ground last Monday. He said: “We received the news and then had a light session. The team didn’t know how to take it because the gaffer had hidden the news quite well.
“I think we are going to use it to try and galvanise the team and try to do our best while he’s gone, and then when he comes back we’ll try to leave it in a really good place.”
Blues’ two victories prior to the Ipswich game coincided with Drameh’s return to the team at right-back. The on-loan Leeds defender has played 23 games this season and Blues have an option to sign him permanently in the summer, although club sources have indicated the decision rests with the player, who is out of contract at Elland Road and will no doubt have other suitors.
“For the last few weeks I feel like I could have played a lot better,” said Drameh. “Coming back from the injury, I have been trying to get into the swing of things. In terms of the loan spell, I would say it’s been decent, quite consistent. I am just trying to do what the team-mates and the manager ask me to do.”
Leeds are due compensation wherever Drameh chooses to go and while Mowbray hasn’t had that conversation, he is seemingly on board with the idea of signing him permanently.
“I am really happy with him,” he said previously. “We haven’t had the discussion with him beyond, ‘Let’s try and win the next game and see if you can stay in the team and prosper,’ I know he’s been around and had a few loans. He has shown me he can play at the level.”
Interim Blues boss Mark Venus revealed Krystian Bielik missed the defeat to Ipswich due to injury, while Keshi Anderson was left out of the squad.
Poland international Bielik was a surprise omission from the starting line-up and was replaced by skipper
Dion Sanderson, who made his return after a month out with an ankle injury. Venus later explained Bielik had picked up an injury but Blues are hopeful he will be available for this weekend’s match with Southampton. Anderson became the latest senior Blues player to miss out on the squad after Scott Hogan replaced him on the bench.
“Krystian has got a slight groin injury and Keshi just wasn’t in the squad,” said Venus. “We don’t know (the severity of Bielik’s injury) but it’s not major. We are hoping he might be fit for next Saturday.”
Bielik has become a mainstay in Blues’ defence since Mowbray replaced Wayne Rooney in January. The 26-year-old had started the previous seven games at centre-back but he is at risk of a two-game suspension having accumulated nine yellow cards.
Anderson, meanwhile, hasn’t started a Championship game since September. The former Crystal Palace and Blackpool winger has fallen out of favour in recent weeks and joined Manny Longelo and Oliver Burke back at base while his team-mates faced the Tractor Boys.