Sixfields is usually a stadium Birmingham City visit for pre-season friendlies but this weekend, for the third time in the club’s history, they will take part in a league fixture in Northampton.
Northampton are one of three teams in League One that Blues haven’t managed to beat across their mammoth 48-game season to date.
Mitch Pinnock took advantage of some calamitous Blues defending to score a 96th minute equaliser when the two teams met at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park in November.
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Blues are a different team now, even if the starting XI I’m about to predict consists of eight players who started the last meeting with the Cobblers.
Goalkeeper Ryan Allsop and three of Blues’ back four pick themselves. Alfons Sampsted impressed at right-back against Stevenage and offers more dynamism than Blues’ other alternatives to the injured Ethan Laird.
It would be a major surprise if Chris Davies didn’t stick with Sampsted after admitting the Icelandic ‘seized his chance’ on Tuesday.
Tomoki Iwata and Paik Seung-ho always start in midfield so two-time Northampton loanee Marc Leonard will be given a watching brief to begin with.
Now for the calls Davies will be mulling over. Jay Stansfield looked sharp against Stevenage and will continue up front in his pursuit of the League One Golden Boot.
Kieran Dowell will play and Willum Willumsson should start after an improved showing, unless Alfie May or Luke Harris – who hasn’t made Blues’ last two squads – can convince Davies otherwise.
For the balance of the team Blues need a left-winger who is happy to hold the width, leaving Davies with Emil Hansson and Keshi Anderson as options.
Hansson went off at half-time on Tuesday with a calf complaint so a fourth start in 12 days would be a stretch even if he’s fit. Anderson has worked his way back to fitness with two cameos off the bench and is surely favourite to regain a position that has been his for most of the season.
Predicted Blues XI for Northampton
(4-2-3-1): Allsop; Sampsted, Klarer, Davies, Cochrane; Iwata, Paik; Dowell, Willumsson, Anderson; Stansfield
