Birmingham City head coach Chris Davies has confirmed that Super Eagles defender Bright Osayi-Samuel is available for selection ahead of his club’s EFL Championship away game against Stoke City this weekend.
Osayi-Samuel, who featured prominently for Nigeria at AFCON 2025, returned to England earlier this week and has rejoined training with the Birmingham first team, dispelling earlier fitness concerns after he limped off late in Nigeria’s third-place play-off win over Egypt. Davies said the right-back was checked medically and trained well, and is now fit to play against Stoke.
“He’s back, which is great news,” Davies said in his pre-match media interaction, also praising Osayi-Samuel’s performances for the Super Eagles in the tournament. Davies pointed out that although Nigeria didn’t win the title, the team and Osayi-Samuel in particular made the country proud with their effort in Morocco.
Osayi-Samuel missed several Birmingham City fixtures due to his national team duty but has now returned ahead of this crucial away trip as Blues look to build momentum in the Championship.
EDITORIAL
In the refined choreography of a football season, timing and fitness are as decisive as tactics and transfer policy. Bright Osayi-Samuel’s availability for Birmingham City’s trip to Stoke City is not simply a squad update it is a psychological uplift for a club navigating the churn of Championship competition.
Osayi-Samuel’s AFCON journey in Morocco six of seven games for Nigeria and a third-place finish was testament to his durability and level on the international stage. The transition back to club football, however, is rarely seamless. Players returning from major tournaments are at the mercy of accumulated fatigue and niggles that travel home with them like unwelcome souvenirs. That Birmingham’s medical team have now cleared him, and Davies is ready to include him, speaks volumes about both his professionalism and the club’s strategic urgency.
The Championship is a league that exposes vulnerabilities as efficiently as it rewards resilience. A full-back’s presence athletic, assured, and confident can shift dynamics, especially in matches where momentum is contested in narrow margins. Osayi-Samuel’s return brings not just defensive solidity but the reassurance of experience and rhythm gained on big stages.
In a campaign where margins define trajectories, ensuring key performers are not just present but ready is crucial. Birmingham will watch with keen interest as Osayi-Samuel steps back into the fray, not merely for the tactical contribution he offers, but for the subtle signal his fitness sends that ambition remains matched by preparedness.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Bright Osayi-Samuel missed several Birmingham City Championship matches while on AFCON duty with Nigeria, where he played six times in the Super Eagles’ run to a bronze medal.
- He has rejoined full training ahead of the Stoke City trip, having been checked by the club’s medical staff and deemed fit.
- Osayi-Samuel signed for Birmingham City in July 2025 on a three year deal after leaving Fenerbahçe.
- The right-back can play in multiple attacking and defensive roles, including as a full-back, wing-back and wide midfielder.
- His fitness boost comes at a key moment for Birmingham, who are navigating a tight Championship schedule where every point matters.
