ROWETT LEFT TO SCRATCH AROUND AT BACK
RHOYS Wiggins’ seasonlong injury has left Birmingham City drastically short of cover at left-back, and manager Gary Rowett says the chances of him finding a suitable replacement are slim.
On-loan Bournemouth defender Wiggins, 28, was ruled out for the season following a knee injury sustained in Birmingham’s 1-1 derby draw with Aston Villa – just his second game of the campaign.
And, with the cupboard worryingly bare, Rowett admits they had brought in a player to train with them but said the restrictions on emergency transfers had left them hamstrung.
“It’s a difficult one because it obviously has to be a free transfer, has to be someone who is out of contract in the last window because of the lack of emergency loans – which is a challenge,” he said.
“You go and find me leftbacks of a sufficient quality for us that are out of contract. There are not many around and there is no guarantee how fit those players are if they haven’t played for five or six months.
“If it was the other side of the pitch, then I have got plenty of young players who can step in and I wouldn’t even look. I would give them an opportunity.”
Rowett suggested veteran defender Paul Robinson, now 37, as potential cover, as well as injured 19-yearold Dom Bernard, but concluded that bringing in a short-term replacement was the only real option.
He said: “But at the minute our only real leftsider, in terms of playing full-back and who is close to being ready is Dom Bernard – and he’s rightfooted and also injured.
“We have got Paul Robinson who is left-footed, who could play out there – at a push.
“We are looking, and if we get the right one we might try to do something short-term to give us a bit extra depth.”