These 4 Birmingham City players have just a month to prove they are worth keeping around in January | OneFootball

Birmingham City could make quite a few changes to their squad in January despite the fact they were very busy during the summer.

Former manager John Eustace oversaw the previous transfer window, but his successor Wayne Rooney has implemented a different style of football at St Andrew's.

Although some players have managed to adapt well, Rooney will inevitably want to put his own stamp on the squad by bringing in some fresh faces, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he was told before his appointment that he would have the power to make changes in January despite their productive summer period.

Considering they raised a healthy amount from Jude Bellingham's move and the sales of Jobe Bellingham to Sunderland and Tahith Chong to Luton Town, owner Tom Wagner may be willing to spend a decent amount in the market.

But like all EFL clubs, Blues will also need to cash in on players if they want to fork out considerable fees to bring others in.

Following the implementation of a new style of play, some of Rooney's current players may be deemed surplus to requirements and we have selected four players who may only have just over a month to prove they are worth retained beyond the end of the January transfer window.

Marc Roberts

Roberts has spent much of the campaign on the bench and he will need to perform well in training to give himself the best chance of winning more game time.

He may have come off the bench in recent games against Southampton, Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday, but his cameos were short in these games and it doesn't seem as though Rooney views him as a key part of his plans at the moment.

This is why he has a point to prove ahead of the winter window.

The defender's contract expires in 2024, so Blues may be preparing to try and offload him for a fee whilst they can.

Marcel Oakley

Oakley may have come off the bench against Sunderland before the international break, but he has only made four competitive appearances this term and just eight in total for the club during his time at Blues.

With Cody Drameh and Ethan Laird already at the club as right-back options, the chances of Oakley starting anytime soon are slim.

But with Drameh only on loan at the club at this point and not guaranteed to stay at Blues beyond the end of the campaign, Rooney may want to keep the academy graduate at the club if he impresses in training.

Gary Gardner

The central midfielder has started a grand total of one game this season - and that is perhaps a signal that he is coming towards the end of his time at St Andrew's.

However, he's still fit and that will give him the opportunity to show Rooney that he should be in the starting lineup.

If he can perform well enough in training, the Manchester United legend will probably retain him because he's an experienced member of the dressing room who could be valuable both on and off the pitch.

But if he can't force his way into the first 11, Blues may want to get his salary off the wage bill to make room for a signing.

Hogan has been on the substitutes bench for much of Rooney's tenure so far and that isn't promising for the Irishman who will want to win as much game time as possible.

But with other attacking options available and Birmingham's manager potentially wanting to strengthen this area in January, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the club try and offload the ex-Aston Villa forward when the winter window comes along.