Birmingham City are forced to close their Wast Hills training ground after a 'severe' fire ripped through the facility less than 48 hours before their match at Wigan
- No one was injured in the blaze, which was swiftly attended to by fire services
- The ground closure may limit preparations ahead of their weekend fixture
- The Blues will face Championship opponents Wigan away on Saturday
Birmingham have been forced to close their Wast Hills training ground after a fire severely damaged facilities early on Friday morning.
Manager John Eustace's preparations ahead of his team's match against Wigan have been scuppered by the damage caused
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In a statement made by the club, they confirmed there were no injuries, but that the ground would be closed until further notice.
This disruption will likely hinder the team's preparations for their weekend fixture, with the club set to travel to the DW Stadium to face Championship opponents Wigan on Saturday.
The club statement said: 'The club can confirm that Wast Hills Training Ground has suffered damage as a result of a fire.
'Hereford and Worcester Fire Service attended the scene and remain on site following the discovery during the early hours of Friday 3 March. No one was injured.
'Staff and players have been contacted and the facility remains closed until further notice.
'The club will continue to liaise with the emergency services and will make no further comment at this time.'
A spokesperson from the Hereford and Worcester Fire Service confirmed that multiple fire service crews attended to the blaze, and that firefighters were on call between 2.29am and 8.34am.
The statement said: 'Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service was called out at 2.29am [on Friday] to a building fire at Birmingham City Football Club's Training Ground, Redhill Road, Kings North.
'Two crews from both Redditch and Bromsgrove Fire Stations attended along with the aerial ladder platform from Worcester and the incident command unit from Wyre Forest as well as West Midlands Fire Service crews from Kings Norton, Northfield and Highgate.
'There was a severe fire in the ground floor of a single storey unit with some areas covering two storeys.
'Crews used six breathing apparatus units and two hose reel jets while the hydraulic platform was used to survey the scene.
'By 6.06am, crews were damping down and checking for hotspots with a fire investigation underway.
'Firefighters remained at the scene at 8.34am with a watching brief in progress using a thermal image camera and triple extension ladder.'
Birmingham are currently dwindling 19th in the Championship, having lost their last four matches.
Manager John Eustace's side recorded defeats against Luton, Norwich, Huddersfield and Cardiff, but a win against bottom-of-the-table Wigan could lift them as high as 17th.
A bright spot for the club is the developing talent of Manchester United's midfield prospect Hannibal Mejbri, who is on loan with the club from the Red Devils for the season.
Mejbri was recently named man of the match in the West Midlands derby against West Bromwich Albion in early February, scoring from an immaculate free-kick to register the first senior goal of his career.