Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has provided an update on club record signing Jay Stansfield, who was left out of the matchday squad for Saturday’s 3-2 triumph over Cambridge United at the Cledara Abbey Stadium.

After returning to winning ways in the Championship with a statement 3-2 victory over Coventry City at St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park last weekend, the West Midlands outfit triumphed by the same scoreline against their lower-league opponents, though the game was far more dramatic than anyone could have predicted with 12 minutes remaining.

Indeed, Kai Wagner, the Blues’ first signing of the winter transfer window, opened the scoring on the half-hour mark, and Kyogo Furuhashi’s first goal since August was followed by Marvin Ducksch’s third goal in six days, all before Cambridge substitute Sully Kaikai set up a grandstand finish with a brace in the final 10 minutes of normal time.

Davies made only two changes ahead of kickoff, with Kyogo replacing Stansfield in the starting lineup, although fans were concerned when the 22-year-old forward and top scorer did not travel with the team.

There were, of course, questions about the England Under-21 international’s health and availability after he missed the Blues’ 3-0 defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road on New Year’s Day, but he recovered and played 92 minutes in the following victory over Coventry on January 4th.

As a result, Davies has provided an update on Stansfield’s current situation, with the Second City side turning their attention to a key second-tier fixture away to Swansea City next Saturday evening.

Chris Davies offers a fresh Jay Stansfield injury report following Cambridge United’s omission.

Davies has experienced a modest availability crisis at St. Andrew’s in recent weeks due to injury and suspension concerns.

Football League World exclusively revealed last week that Lewis Koumas, who started for the second time in a row against Cambridge, was expected to return to Liverpool, but Davies hinted at a potential reversal with star winger Demarai Gray out until next month with a calf injury.

Throughout his time in the West Midlands, whether as a Fulham loanee or a permanent part of the squad, Stansfield’s availability has rarely been called into question, which has been a significant asset to Birmingham over time.

The club’s record signing and poster boy for Knighthead Capital Management’s well-publicized redevelopment in this area of the world previously scored 12 goals at this level during his brief absence from Craven Cottage, and he is now leading the scoring charts for the third consecutive season in B9.

Since his appointment in June 2024, Davies has made it clear how much he values all competitions, with Stansfield missing only two of the Blues’ previous Championship and EFL Cup fixtures leading up to last weekend, both of which were away defeats to Leicester City and the aforementioned Hornets.

The Blues manager revealed last week that his star forward suffered a dead leg – for the second time this season – in the controversial 1-1 draw with Southampton on December 29th, and he was given the opportunity to fully recover from the injury this weekend despite playing almost the entire match against Coventry beforehand.

“Jay took a knock a few weeks ago and has been carrying on with it. He did an excellent job in getting through the Coventry match,” Davies stated following Cambridge’s victory.

“It’s a knock, and we hope he has a good week and is fine. It will not be a long-term issue, but it is a setback that he has had to deal with,” he continued.

Chris Davies seen Birmingham City strikers return to and maintain great form in Jay Stansfield’s absence.

While there is optimism that Stansfield will return for next weekend’s trip to South Wales, Davies will be relieved that Kyogo broke his well-documented goal drought against the U’s, and Ducksch is certainly in form right now.

Of course, Stansfield’s primary job in an adjusted system has been as the ‘number 10’ behind a main striker, a position Ducksch filled against the fourth-tier team on Saturday.

However, following Kyogo’s strike, the former Tottenham Hotspur assistant may be faced with a conundrum, as the Japanese international will aim to now convert similar achievements into the Championship, as he awaits his first league strike amid contradictory reports of a reunion with Celtic.