Michael Morrison: Birmingham City fears eased on defender's injury

Michael Morrison officially completed his move to Birmingham City from Charlton Athletic on 5 January

Birmingham City's fears have been eased on the extent of the injury suffered by influential defender Michael Morrison.

It was feared Morrison might be out for up to six weeks when he went off with an ankle injury in the first half of Gary Rowett's side's goalless draw with Sheffield Wednesday last Tuesday night.

But Rowett now admits: "Although he's not going to make an immediate return, it's not as bad as we first feared.

"We've got to make sure he doesn't re-injure it. Precautions will be taken."

After Morrison missed last Saturday's second successive 0-0 draw, at home to Norwich, Rowett had considered bringing in reinforcements ahead of the close of the January transfer window on Monday.

But, although he failed to land either of his two main targets, the loan window will reopen again next week.

"I realise we're a little bit thin on the ground in terms of defensive cover," he said. "So we'll make sure that's something we look at.

"We'd been working on an international player, playing out in Europe. We were very close and then the deal fell down for various reasons. We also missed out on another player when another club pushed just a little bit harder than we were capable of doing.

"They were going to be two loan deals but we've now got just one game before we can then bring people on loan again, so I don't think there is a massive issue with it.

"We were very close to two or three other deals (with Premier League clubs) but people were waiting until they'd got their players in."

Meanwhile, promising teenage Blues defender Josh Martin has penned a pre-contract agreement to sign his first professional deal with the Championship club on his 17th birthday in October.

Martin, 16, who already has a first team squad number, was part of the City side who reached the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals with a 3-2 win over Liverpool at Chester's Deva Stadium last Friday night.