{"id":338891,"date":"2025-08-12T16:33:23","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T16:33:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/338891\/"},"modified":"2025-08-12T16:33:23","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T16:33:23","slug":"birmingham-city-vs-sheffield-united-predicted-xi-as-chris-davies-ponders-emotional-return","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/338891\/","title":{"rendered":"Birmingham City vs Sheffield United predicted XI as Chris Davies ponders emotional return"},"content":{"rendered":"

Birmingham City start their Carabao Cup campaign at home to Sheffield United on Wednesday evening<\/p>\n

15:54, 12 Aug 2025Updated 15:59, 12 Aug 2025<\/p>\n

\"GeorgeGeorge Hall has not started for Birmingham City since August 2023<\/p>\n

Chris Davies must strive to strike the right balance between managing minutes, being competitive and guiding Birmingham City<\/a> through to the second round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n

The Championship new boys take on a team that was within 90 minutes of reaching the Premier League last season when they face Sheffield United at St Andrew\u2019s @Knighthead Park in an 8pm kick-off.<\/p>\n

They do so both buoyed by their performance against promotion favourite Ipswich Town <\/a>in their first league game and frustrated that they couldn\u2019t hold on for what would have been a statement victory.<\/p>\n

The Blades, under the new management of Ruben Selles, were hammered 4-1 at home by Bristol City in their curtain-raiser but will arrive with a squad packed with quality.<\/p>\n

Selles will no doubt field a much-changed team, as will Davies as he considers which and how many to make.<\/p>\n

An obvious one comes in goal where it would be a surprise if James Beadle doesn\u2019t come in for his Blues debut in place of Ryan Allsop. Davies rotated his goalkeepers last season until the very last stages of the cup competitions.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"JamesJames Beadle of Birmingham City<\/p>\n

It seems similarly logical to name the next cabs off the rank in the defence, with Ethan Laird, Krystian Bielik<\/a> and Eiran Cashin \u2013 the second debutant \u2013 making their first starts of the season.<\/p>\n

Davies showed great faith in Alex Cochrane\u2019s durability last season but may err on the side of caution this time round and offer Alfons Sampsted a rare chance.<\/p>\n

Tommy Doyle holds the keys to the next quandary, whether Davies sees him as a No 6, 8 or 10 \u2013 so far the hints have been the manager wants to utilise the Wolves loanee\u2019s creativity a bit further forward, potentially as a ten.<\/p>\n

That could leave Marc Leonard partnering Tomoki Iwata in the middle of the park, with Doyle deployed alongside Willum Willumsson and Taylor Gardner-Hickman.<\/p>\n

I wouldn’t be that surprised to see George Hall handed his first Blues start since August 2023 – but I can’t quite get there – I would, though, tip Lyndon Dykes to get the nod ahead of Jay Stansfield and Kyogo Furuhashi.<\/p>\n

Blues predicted XI: <\/strong>Beadle, Laird, Bielik, Cashin, Sampsted; Iwata, Leonard; Willumsson, Doyle, Gardner-Hickman; Dykes<\/p>\n

What XI would you pick? Have your say here<\/a><\/p>\n

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