Birmingham City manager Garry Monk faces a nervous international break with Jota a potential absentee for the Second City derby against Aston Villa when Championship action returns.
The Chalkboard
Jota has been pivotal for the success Monk has achieved since taking over at Birmingham from Steve Cotterill earlier in the year.
So far this season, the Spanish winger has been involved in six goals at St Andrew’s, no other player has achieved as many assists as the 27-year-old’s five.
Unfortunately, the 5 foot 11 midfielder limped off the pitch on Saturday with a hip flexor complaint, the same injury that sidelined Harlee Dean against Sheffield Wednesday.
Monk now faces a tough international period as he waits on word from the medical room to whether his ace will feature against Aston Villa, given there is no clear replacement with Jota joined by Jacques Maghoma who remains absent with an ankle injury.
No deputy for the deputy
When Maghoma developed his knock against Reading, which forced the 31-year-old off prior to half time, Connor Mahoney was able to step up and has featured in the three subsequent fixtures.
The only issue now should Jota also be benched is that there is no deputy for the deputy. If the Spaniard is unavailable, Monk will be forced to change his approach.
Maghoma is at least expected to return to training the Monday prior to the derby, but a week may not be sufficient to build fitness.
Luckily, the international break will give the 39-year-old manager time to train a new method into his men, but moments like this are always unwelcome heading into a derby.
Who can step up?
In each Championship game so far this season, Monk has fielded his side in a 4-4-2 with top scorers Che Adams and Lukas Jutkiewicz leading the line.
The pair are irreplaceable in the side and must feature against Aston Villa, meaning should either Jota or Maghoma not be able to play there is no clear formation to change to other than a 4-3-1-2 but it risks Monk’s men lacking width.
Gary Gardener can be brought into the starting eleven after a substitute appearance in the Hull game, joining starters Maikel Kieftenbeld and Charlie Lakin. Maghoma’s deputy, Mahoney, meanwhile would move into the attacking role but with the caveat that he drifts to the wings to offer support beyond the overlapping fullbacks.
