Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has announced that both Ethan Laird and Luke Harris are expected to be sidelined for more than a month due to injuries. Laird and Harris, who is on loan from Fulham, were both forced to leave the field early during Birmingham’s 2-1 victory over Wigan Athletic on Saturday after sustaining injuries. Subsequent scans have confirmed that the injuries are serious enough to keep both players out for an extended period.
In an update following Birmingham’s draw with Walsall in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, Davies explained, “Ethan has an ankle injury, the same as Luke Harris, so it looks like they will both be out for a while. We received the scan results yesterday, and while we can’t be definitive, it seems likely they’ll be out for over a month.”
This development is particularly disappointing for Laird, who had successfully completed a full pre-season and started in Birmingham’s first six matches under Davies. Laird had a challenging first season at St Andrew’s, making only 25 league appearances due to various injuries, and now faces another period on the sidelines.
In Laird’s absence, summer signing Alfons Sampsted is expected to step up as the primary right-back once he returns from international duty with Iceland. Additionally, Birmingham has other options, including Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Brandon Khela, who can also fill in at right-back.