Birmingham City have significant depth in the heart of their defence and have now sanctioned a loan move for 25-year-old defender Dion Sanderson, who returns to the Championship with Blackburn Rovers after accumulating over 100 appearances in the second tier. 

Sanderson has been at St. Andrews since joining the Blues from Wolves for a fee reported to be in the region of £2 Million in the summer of 2023 after an initial loan spell.

Birmingham City Remain Resolute to Top League One

The summer transfer window brought increased scrutiny for Birmingham City after the club’s large outlay in the hope of sealing an instant return to the Championship.

They have lived up to expectations to sit at the top of the League One table, two points clear of Wycombe Wanderers and Wrexham, with a couple of games in hand.

Much of the team’s success has been built on their impressive displays at the back. The Blues have conceded just 17 goals in their 23 League One outings and have the best record for xG against of all teams in the third tier.

The summer arrivals of Ben Davies on loan from Rangers and in particular Christoph Klarer, who left German side Darmstadt 98, have significantly upgraded Chris Davies’ options at the back.

Krystian Bielik is a mainstay in the side, resulting in Sanderson making just four starts in all competitions. The defender has joined play-off chasing Blackburn Rovers until the end of the season.

Blackburn Rovers Reinforce Squad Amid Poor Run of Form

The Championship club are on a five-match winless run having previously picked up six consecutive wins in the second tier.

John Eustace has seen his squad stretched due to injuries to the likes of Hayden Carter and Scott Wharton leaving a lack of cover for central defenders Danny Batth and Dominic Hyam.

Blackburn Rovers sit just outside the play-off positions but have an expected goals-against tally of over 33, proving that they are overperforming defensively having conceded just 23 times.

Sanderson should be a valuable asset having been a regular at this level in both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns for Birmingham City. He performed admirably last season despite the Blues being relegated, averaging 3.3 clearances and 1.4 interceptions per game.

Blackburn Rovers travel to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup on Saturday. A home tie against Portsmouth awaits on Wednesday when the Championship returns.