Birmingham City will try to keep the pressure on the teams chasing a play-off berth this weekend, when they visit Sheffield United at St Andrew’s.

The Blues come into this game off the back of a narrow 1-0 win over QPR in midweek, which puts Chris Davies’ team tenth in the Championship table with only nine games remaining in the season.

That win against the Hoops broke the Blues’ three-game losing record, and their fans will be hoping they can string together a winning run of results as soon as possible, given they are currently five points below the play-off spots.

Davies will be well aware of the threat that awaits them this weekend, as Sheffield United have made significant progress since their problems early in the 2025/26 season.

However, some famous names may miss the battle at St Andrew’s, so we’ll go over the absentees for this crucial match for both clubs, who will be vying for a late charge into the top six spots.

Kai Wagner

Wagner has 11 league appearances for Birmingham this season, but the 29-year-old is scheduled to miss this game due to an injury.

Birmingham manager Chris Davies provided a report on Wagner’s fitness, which was negative ahead of the next match against Sheffield United at St Andrews.Kai Wagner won’t join us until after the international break.

Alex Cochrane

Cochrane has not played for Birmingham since New Year’s Day owing to an ankle injury and is unlikely to return before Saturday’s encounter against the Blades.

The left-back was instrumental in the Blues’ promotion from League One, and Chris Davies will be eager to see him return to the club as soon as possible, as Birmingham look to finish in the top six.

Gustavo Hamer

Hamer’s absence is regularly felt in the Sheffield United lineup, and the midfielder will be unavailable for selection again this weekend as he serves the final game of his two-match suspension.

The midfielder also missed the midweek defeat to Norwich, and Chris Wilder will be hoping that the four-goal midfielder can avoid any other disciplinary difficulties between now and the end of the 2025/26 season.

Michael Cooper

Cooper, the Sheffield United shot-stopper, will miss the 2025/26 season due to a “unique” ailment, as revealed by Chris Wilder.He had a scan, and according to the doctor, it is a very uncommon injury. There was something around the back of his knee. He’s been sidelined for 12 weeks, which puts him in preseason. But he’s fine for the preseason; no surgery is required. “He just needs to rehab, rest, and heal naturally.”

Jamie Shackleton

Shackleton’s stint with Sheffield United has been plagued by injuries, the most recent of which occurred in January. Wilder described the midfielder’s latest setback as “disappointing” for the former Leeds player.

“From Shacks’ perspective, it’s a minor setback. He’s had a very terrible time at the football club, which is upsetting for him as well.”

Shackleton has only played 21 minutes for the Blades this season and is unlikely to return in the near future.

Tom Davies

Davies has only made eight appearances in all competitions for Sheffield United this season and hasn’t been included in the matchday squad since late January.

It’s unclear when he’ll return to the squad following his current injury, but his experience could be important in the final few games of the 2025/26 season, so Wilder will be hoping to see him back soon.

Sam McCallum

The Sheffield United left-back suffered a catastrophic ankle injury in a 1-1 draw with Millwall in January, and Chris Wilder has revealed that the injury is expected to be season-ending.

McCallum joined the Blades in the summer of 2024 and made 21 appearances in all competitions before his injury, and he will not play this weekend against Birmingham City.