Oliver Burke, a Birmingham City loanee, has been ruled out for a few weeks due to a muscular ailment and may not play again this season.
The former West Bromwich Albion and Millwall wideman joined the West Midlands from German club Werder Bremen during the summer transfer window, but he has struggled to reach regular heights since his return to the second division.
Blues are currently trying to keep their Championship status, hovering above the bottom three. With Gary Rowett now in interim command, Birmingham fans will be hoping the returning manager can spark a positive response when they visit QPR on Saturday afternoon.
Burke and the rest of the playing squad have had to deal with a turbulent season, with five managers occupying the touchline at some point during the campaign, including John Eustace, Wayne Rooney, Tony Mowbray, Mark Venus, and now Rowett, all attempting to get their ideas across to the group.
Burke was a mainstay in the Blues lineup, notably under Eustace, and helped the team rise into the top six before his departure in October of last year.
The 26-year-old continued to feature extensively under Rooney but lost his position in the side when Mowbray arrived, and he has not appeared in a Blues shirt since their FA Cup defeat to Leicester City at the start of the year.
Clemens Fritz, Werder Bremen’s head of professional football, disclosed to German site Deich Stube that Burke had a muscular injury at St Andrew’s, putting him on the sidelines for several weeks.
Fritz stated, “He currently has a muscular issue and has been unable to play for some weeks. He’ll definitely need some time to get fit again.”
This means Burke will not get a chance to improve his awful goal-scoring record at Birmingham in the immediate term, as the Scottish international has yet to make an attacking contribution in 20 Championship games during his loan there.
Burke may have had the opportunity to play more under a new regime, but a new injury and a poor goal-scoring record will undoubtedly push the winger further down the pecking order, making it impossible to earn major minutes in the closing stretch.
Burke has returned to England with many clubs after leaving Nottingham Forest in 2016, but has had limited success.
Burke moved to Premier League club West Brom for a reputed £15 million price in 2017 after an excellent term with RB Leipzig, although he only made 24 appearances at the Hawthorns, with loan spells at Celtic and Alaves throughout his time in the Black Country.
Burke would make a permanent move four years later to Sheffield United, where he would play the entirety of the 2020/21 Premier League season as the Blades were relegated.
After only two goals and an assist in 36 games in South Yorkshire, Burke would make two separate trips to Millwall, scoring four times in two seasons.
After another disappointing loan spell, the Kirkcaldy-born attacker revealed that his future with Werder Bremen will be decided in the summer.
He continued: “We are in contact with him and his advisor and will decide together how to proceed in the summer.”
This must be a frightening remark for Burke to read, given that his contract with Die Werderaner does not expire until 2025.
If Werder Bremen decides to save money on wages by releasing Burke a year early, the Scotsman’s future as a free agent will be uncertain this summer.
Burke would have to make a huge decision about where to play his football next, and staying in England might not be enticing considering his disappointing performances here in recent years.
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