Birmingham City vs Bristol City; Sky Bet Championship
Birmingham City vs Bristol City. Sky Bet Championship.
St. Andrew's StadiumAttendance20,961.
Birmingham vs Bristol City preview
Friday 7 December 2018 12:00, UK
Birmingham forward Jota could be fit to face Bristol City on Saturday.
The 27-year-old has been sidelined with a hip problem for the last three games but has returned to training.
David Davis (ankle) and Isaac Vassell (knee) have been long-term absentees but are closing in on comebacks. Harlee Dean has shrugged off a kick to the ankle and should keep his place at St Andrew’s.
Bristol City could have Bailey Wright available for the trip to the Midlands. The defender has not played since April as he battles a thigh injury but featured in a behind closed doors game this week.
Milan Djuric and Marley Watkins are options to lead the attack after Famara Diedhiou’s disappointing display in the 1-1 draw against Millwall. The Robins are 14th in the Sky Bet Championship, eight points adrift of the top six.
Opta stats
Birmingham have won 11 of their last 15 league games against Bristol City (D3 L1) but they lost their most recent meeting in April, a 1-3 defeat.
Bristol City have won none of their last eight league visits to St. Andrew's against Birmingham (W0 D2 L6) since a 1-0 win in March 1993.
Birmingham manager Garry Monk has lost three of his four Championship meetings with Bristol City, winning the other in February 2017 with Leeds United.
Birmingham have won their last two league games without conceding, they last won three in a row while keeping a clean sheet in each match back in April.
Bristol City have won two of their last four away league games (L2), as many wins as they'd picked up in their previous 18 (D8 L8).
Birmingham striker Lukas Jutkiewicz has reached 10+ goals in an English league season for the just the third campaign in his career (also 2016-17 and 2011-12).
Prutton's prediction
David Prutton predicts: 2-0 (9/1 with Sky Bet)
