Chris Davies has conceded that Birmingham City may need to add another defender to their squad in the last week of the January transfer window if injuries continue to plague St. Andrews.

Blues are presently 13th in the Championship after 29 games, five points behind the play-offs after a 1-1 draw with Stoke City over the weekend. The battle for the top six is extremely tight, and the West Midlands club has a decent opportunity of moving up the table in the coming months.

However, Davies’ side has suffered serious injury difficulties in one area of defence, and Tom Wagner may have to dive into the transfer budget once more to give more insurance.

Kai Wagner joined Birmingham earlier this month, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract with last season’s League One champions. However, there is a lot of burden on his shoulders to stay fit, and his head coach has hinted at the potential of signing another left-back.

Chris Davies discusses Birmingham City’s chances of signing another left-back.

Blues have had an erratic first year back in the Championship, but fans may have expected more given how good their promotion campaign was previous season.

However, injuries, particularly in the left-back position, have been a problem, and while Wagner has made a good start in the West Midlands, both Alex Cochrane and Lee Buchanan are sidelined for the foreseeable future, prompting Davies to consider whether another full-back is required.

According to Birmingham Live, the manager expressed uncertainty over Alex’s availability during the season’s final month.Kai has come in and performed admirably, displaying incredible strength. It’s something we’ll talk about in the next days, whether we think something needs to be done or if we have enough.”

When asked about Buchanan, Davies was less optimistic: “It’s been such a long injury that you’ve got to be careful, but we hope Lee can get back up to speed. He would require a few under-21 games to build.”

Kai Wagner has enjoyed a strong start to life with Birmingham City.

Wagner, 28, is in the peak of his career and is demonstrating his ability at Birmingham with four outstanding displays in his first four Championship games.

On his debut, he assisted against Coventry City and scored for the Blues in an FA Cup away game against Cambridge United.

Wagner has a lot of potential going forward, and his role as a modern-day full-back has been on full display at St. Andrews. However, Davies understands that the German defender’s injury or ban might wreak havoc on the left flank.

Kai Wagner Birmingham City stats for 2025/26 (FotMob)*

Appearances (starts).

4 (4)

Minutes played

341

Goals (assisted)

0 (1)

xA

1.26

Pass accuracy

63.8%

Chances created

7

Cross success.

33.3%
*Statistics are correct as of January 27, 2026.

As a result, Birmingham must sign another left-back, at least until the end of the season, to ensure that they do not run out of options at that position.