Ryan Shotton’s withdrawal through injury at half-time on Tuesday evening was met with trepidation. The lack of central defensive options in Blues’ squad was worrying. And while Paul Robinson performed admirably against Reading, his age limits the amount of games he can play.
Before I walked in to the house after the Reading defeat, Blues had announced the loan signing of Arsenal youngster Krystian Bielik. The six-foot-two centre back is a highly rated figure at the Emirates Stadium after signing for £2.7m from Legia Warsaw in January 2015, aged just 17.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger spoke very highly of the Poland U18 international when he said- “He has all the qualities and ingredients to be a top-level centre-back’.
With Shotton carrying a knock and Michael Morrison out of form, Bielik may get a chance to start when Fulham arrive at St. Andrews tomorrow afternoon. The 19 year-old has everything ‘other than experience’, according to Wenger. And St. Andrews is a place where he can gain that much needed experience and showcase his talents.
The signings of Craig Gardner, Emilio Nsue and Chieck Keita have taken up more column inches in the media but Bielik could well be an outstanding piece of business in a position that Blues desperately needed refreshing.
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