The Blues head to Shrewsbury Town this weekend, but it appears that one player may need to be checked.
Birmingham City will be holding their breath as Alfons Sampsted appears to be returning from the international break with a knock.
The 26-year-old was representing Iceland in the UEFA Nations League’s last group stage match at Cardiff City Stadium, 110 miles away. He began, but his compatriot and club teammate Willum Willumsson came on as a substitute in the fourth quarter, with Iceland trailing by two goals.
It appears that Sampsted, who played 74 minutes, ‘hobbled’ off to make room for Dagur Thorhallsson. He was carried by two members of Iceland’s physio crew as he walked cautiously away. The apparent injury occurred as a ball was lofted over his head while he was fighting with Leeds United’s Dan James for possession. Neither play ended up with possession, but Sampsted fared the worse of the two. 
The 26-year-old has played 12 games in all competitions. Sampsted has had to settle for a bench spot since Ethan Laird’s return, with his most recent start coming in October’s EFL Trophy victory over Fulham. Sampsted may have caught paths with his buddy Luke Harris over
Elsewhere during the international break, Paik Seung-Ho came on as a substitute in a 3-1 win for South Korea over Kuwait. Five days later, South Korea played out to a 1-1 draw with Palestine, but Paik did not play any part, and was instead left on the bench.
Goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell was twice an unused substitute as Northern Ireland beat Belarus and drew with Luxembourg. He is still awaiting his 50th cap with the 28-year-old just two games away from reaching the landmark appearance. Lyndon Dykes appeared in Scotland’s two games, coming on as a substitute in the 1-0 victory over Georgia and starting against Poland. The Scots finished third in their group and will face a play-off in March to stay in League A.
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