The Imps suffered a 3-1 defeat at the Bank, with Tom Bayliss scoring City’s only goal of the afternoon. McGrandles was the only absentee from the starting XI that beat Burnley 4-1 the previous weekend, with Ivan Varfolomeev replacing him in midfield.
However, Chris confirmed that a scan had revealed no significant damage, with the Scot potentially available for Tuesday’s trip to Watford.
“No, he just opened up his knee right at the end of last week,” Chris told me after the game.
“Obviously, we brought him off. We were bringing him off anyway, but he just opened up his knee.
“So he had a scan on it. Thankfully, there’s nothing too damaging there. So hopefully he’ll be fit for Tuesday. If not, Saturday. If not, it’ll be definitely the game after the international break.
“So we’ll just have to wait and see this week.”
City made five substitutions during the defeat, with Varfolomeev, Dom Jefferies, Reeco Hackett, Ben House and Mikkel Ladefoged all making way in the second half. House had tissues in his nose to stem bleeding after a boot in the face, which was a worry for the home fans.
With another Championship fixture coming up in just three days, Chris was also asked whether any fresh injury concerns had emerged from the physical encounter.
“No, no one’s come off because of an injury or anything like that,” added Chris. “So hopefully we’ll have the same squad to pick from.”
The Imps now face a quick turnaround before travelling to Vicarage Road to face Watford on Tuesday evening, looking to bounce back from Saturday’s disappointing result. McGrandles remains a doubt for that fixture. Also doubtful are Mason Melia and Ethan Wheatley, both thought to be close to a return, but also possibly out until the game against Wrexham on November 21st.
The good news is that McGrandles’ scan showed no significant damage and no further injuries were reported from the Birmingham game; City will be hopeful of having a strong squad available for the trip to Hertfordshire.
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