Troy Deeney: Birmingham City captain must 'bide time' after injuries, says Lee Bowyer
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Lee Bowyer signed boyhood Birmingham City fan Troy Deeney for Blues on transfer deadline day in August
Birmingham City boss Lee Bowyer has defused reports of a difference of opinion with Troy Deeney by saying that the Blues captain must stay patient following his return from injury.
Deeney has been out for three months since suffering a thigh problem in the FA Cup exit to Plymouth on 6 January.
It was followed by a calf injury, which has extended his absence to 16 games.
But Bowyer said: "Troy has to bide his time like everybody else. He has trained three days in 11 weeks out."
Deeney had posted on social media earlier in the week about his readiness to play, which he later deleted.
But, speaking after Blues' 1-0 local derby win over West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, Bowyer told BBC Sport: "I am aware of what happened but let me put this all to bed. That situation has been dealt with in the right way. It's private between me and Troy. No worries."
'Work hard and do what I ask then you play'
"Troy Deeney is no different to anybody else," added Bowyer. "He gets treated with the same respect as every other player. If you work hard and you do what I ask then you play.
"I know other people will try and stir up stuff, but there is nothing to stir up. Me and Troy are fine, me and everybody else is fine. Troy and everybody else is fine.
"Troy has been out for 11 weeks. He's come back and he's got to catch up. That's it, plain and simple. He trained well this week. Hopefully he will train well next week.
"There is competition for places. He has three strikers that are in front of him. He has to work hard to get back involved. That's the same as every player, not just Troy.
"Ivan Sunjic wasn't in the team. He did nothing wrong against Swansea. He was excellent. Jordan Graham has been excellent for I don't know how many games now and he wasn't in the team. Sometimes it's just little tactical things."
Deeney, who has scored four times since making his August deadline day move from Watford, could now be lined up to return on Saturday when Blues play Nottingham Forest, as on-loan striker Lyle Taylor, Sunday's penalty-spot matchwinner, is not allowed to play against his parent club.
There was also a concern over on-loan Manchester United winger Tahith Chong, who went off early in the second half. But Bowyer told BBC Radio WM: "It was just a bit of tightness and we didn't want to take any risks."