Blues lose Kapo to injury

Forward facing spell on sidelines

By James Pearson   Last updated: 26th February 2008

Olivier Kapo Birmingham City

Kapo: Hamstring blow

Birmingham City will be without Olivier Kapo for up to a month after he injured his hamstring against Arsenal on Saturday.

Although Eduardo's injury in last Saturday's 2-2 draw attracted all of the media attention, Blues did not finish the match unscathed with Kapo and Liam Ridgewell both collecting knocks.

With Blues playing much of the game a man light following Martin Taylor's sending off, manager Alex McLeish believes the added strain eventually took its toll.

Extra strain

"Kapo is out for four weeks with a hamstring," McLeish told the club's official website.

"I think playing with ten men put an extra strain on all of the players.

"Kapo was key for us in the first half because he provided a great outlet for Maik Taylor and he also won an awful lot of balls in the air for us and kept the ball alive for us in the first half.

"In other circumstances the ball may have just kept coming back into our half and putting us under more pressure. But unfortunately I think the extra burden that it put on him in particular has taken its toll."

Touch-and-go

Meanwhile, defender Ridgewell is touch-and-go to feature in Saturday's game against Carling Cup winners Spurs.

"Ridgewell is doubtful for the Spurs game," McLeish continued.

"He'll train on Friday and we will make a final decision on Saturday and give him until the last minute.

"But we have got cover with players like Jaidi to come back in and Franck Queudrue who can play at centre half as well."