After defeating Leyton Orient 2-0 at St Andrew’s on Tuesday night, Birmingham City made yet another huge step toward an instant return to the Championship.

The West Midlands team is now 12 points ahead of third-place Wrexham after Chris Davies’s team has won six of their past seven third-tier games and extended their winning streak to 17 games with another three points.

The Blues are also in a strong position to win League One, leading Wycombe Wanderers by nine points with one game remaining.

Birmingham won again thanks to goals from Ethan Laird and Taylor Gardner-Hickman, two unorthodox players, but they had to wait out a 10-man Orient team that had remained defensively resolute since the 12th minute after Jack Currie was sent off.

Although it was a happy occasion, Birmingham’s forward options going into the final 15 games of the season will raise some minor concerns as injuries start to impact the team.

Between now and the conclusion of the season, the Blues will need to rely on other senior players to lead the line and supply enough firepower in order to continue their promotion push. Forward Alfie May is expected to be crucial in filling in for Jay Stansfield and Lydon Dykes.

Birmingham City reveal Jay Stansfield and Lyndon Dykes injury blows

Birmingham City has experienced some of their top frontmen suffering from premature injuries.

Jay Stansfield, who has been a key part of the Blues’ League One promotion campaign this season, was forced off the field during the team’s victory over Bradford City in the Vertu Trophy semi-final.

Although there was initial concern that the injury would be severe, scans showed no damage to the ligaments or bones, thus the former Fulham player will return shortly for the final game, but no exact return date has been announced.

In the meantime, former QPR forward Lyndon Dykes is also on the treatment table and has little chance of returning before the season ends.

Chris Davies, the manager, acknowledged that the 29-year-old Scottish international will be out for several months after he pulled up with a calf injury during last weekend’s match against Reading.

Alfie May’s dip in form for Birmingham City

Alfie May has been forced to play on the bench since the end of January, but injuries to two important players have given him a chance to return to the first squad.

May has not scored in his previous eight games, turning into a bit-part player and even playing as a substitute against Cambridge United, despite scoring a brace against Wigan at the beginning of the year.

Prior to the encounter against Leyton Orient, May had only played 65 minutes of football across five games. He came back into the starting lineup and played 90 minutes, however he was unable to score any goals during the 2-0 triumph.

When May is given more regular playing time, he will need to improve since the Blues still need a reliable source of goals at the top of the field to stay at the top.

Alfie May must step up to secure Birmingham City promotion

There are other players on the forward line besides Alfie May, who is currently the most likely to gain a starting spot under Chris Davies.

The team still has room for the seasoned forward Lukas Jutkiewicz, who can provide much-needed physicality and presence up top if May doesn’t continue to contribute offensively.

The health of star scorer Jay Stansfield was already causing the League One leaders to worry.With the former Exeter City player having the opportunity to be a true hero in helping the team return to the second division, May’s early career at Birmingham City already feels like a turning point.

But if his problems persist, many will start to question if May is good enough for a spot in the Championship; if he can’t succeed with the top side in tFollow Us, he could have to return to League One.