Birmingham City have to beat Norwich City tomorrow and their line-up should reflect that.
Blues will be relegated if they fail to beat the Canaries. They need to take three points at St Andrew’s and hope someone does them a favour elsewhere.
The clarity surrounding Blues’ own situation probably makes Gary Rowett’s job slightly easier this week. He doesn’t need to concern himself with the results of Plymouth Argyle, Sheffield Wednesday or Blackburn Rovers until Blues have taken care of their own business.
In his seven games to date, Rowett has been relatively consistent in team selection. It is hard to envisage him deviating too far from the tried and trusted – even if they haven’t given him the results he wanted.
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Marc Roberts has every chance of starting the game after making his return from the bench against Huddersfield. The 33-year-old defender has the physicality Rowett likes and experience of playing in these high stakes games at St Andrew’s. Dion Sanderson has started all seven of Rowett’s matches but could drop out for Roberts, unless the interim Blues boss restores Krystian Bielik to midfield which seems a possibility.
It is impossible to look beyond Ethan Laird and Lee Buchanan at full-back with Cody Drameh out in the cold. Laird versus Drameh was a battle that gripped fans earlier in the season. Blues have won more games and kept more clean sheets with Laird in the team but Drameh has recorded five assists, four more than his fellow right-back.
Back to Bielik and Blues’ midfield.. Speaking before he joined Blues, Rowett highlighted the importance of Bielik and Ivan Sunjic to the team’s early season form. He hasn’t played them together yet due to the presence of Paik Seung-ho.
“The first thing that struck me when we played them, they have got good energy, they've got good athleticism,” Rowett told the Keep Right On Podcast. “Particularly one of their strengths early season, watching them play Sunjic and Bielik in the heart of midfield, I think just gave them a little platform.
“If you're asking them to go and play higher up the pitch, I didn't think that was probably their strengths. But I think they're two players that can sit in there and give you a nice base.”
Paik is arguably Blues’ most talented player but he was below-par at Huddersfield and could make way if Rowett wants to re-establish that platform of Bielik and Sunjic. Surely having Bielik and Sunjic back in midfield would allow Rowett to throw caution to the wind and select a more attacking front four.
Koji Miyoshi and Jay Stansfield should be assured of their places due to their form. Keshi Anderson and Juninho Bacuna joined them in the front four at Huddersfield.
Bacuna was way below his best. Anderson created Miyoshi’s goal but he faded once Huddersfield wrestled back control at the beginning of the second half.
Then there’s Siriki Dembele who Rowett hasn’t trusted to start a game but has the talent to unlock Championship defences when he is on song. Blues have reached a point where risks need to be taken and Dembele, as frustrating as he can be, has to be considered.
The football romantic in us all would consider Lukas Jutkiewicz but the 35-year-old's fitness levels make him a stronger finisher than a starter in my opinion. If the handbrake is well and truly off, Dembele and Bacuna join Miyoshi and Stansfield in attack. Blues have nothing to lose at this stage and everything to gain.
Alex Dicken's preferred line-up
(4-2-3-1): Ruddy; Laird, M Roberts, Sanderson, Buchanan; Sunjic, Bielik; Miyoshi, Bacuna, Dembele; Stansfield
