By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has delivered a positive update on Bright Osayi-Samuel’s recovery, confirming that the Nigerian international is close to making a return to first-team action following a foot injury.
Osayi-Samuel picked up the injury last month while attempting to block a cross during the second half of Birmingham’s Championship clash against Sheffield Wednesday.
The setback ruled him out of Nigeria’s recent FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin Republic, where he was replaced in the squad by Porto full-back Zaidu Sanusi.
Speaking ahead of Birmingham City’s home match against Hull City this weekend, Davies revealed that Osayi-Samuel is among several players nearing full fitness.
“Bright is progressing well and getting closer to a return,” Davies said. “He’s been working hard with the medical team, and we’re hopeful he’ll be available for selection very soon.”
The manager also confirmed that Marvin Ducksch and Willum Willumsson are similarly close to returning, providing a timely boost as the Blues look to continue their solid form.
Birmingham City return to Championship action on Saturday at St Andrew’s, hosting Hull City after the international break. The Blues are unbeaten in their last two league outings and remain determined to extend their strong home record.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
