Championship news: Birmingham City preparations hit by training ground fire, Middlesbrough's Reading warning

Michael Carrick on Reading

Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick has been speaking about what impact – if any – a potential points deduction for Reading would have on the squad ahead of their Championship clash.

Reading boss Paul Ince revealed he is expecting the club to be docked six points next week for historical breaches of profit and sustainability rules.

Ahead of their weekend clash, Carrick said: “It’s difficult to judge. I’ll be honest, I don’t know the exact situation for them so I can just assume that they will use whatever they’re going through as motivation.

"They are a good group of players and you can see they’ve got a real spirit about them. So from our point of view, the answer is I don’t know, but we expect the best version of them and we’ve prepared for that.”

Carrick, asked how he dealt with off-field issues during his playing days, said: “I’ve had it plenty of times. It depends what the issue is and what the dressing room is like that you’re in at that time.

"But most of the time the boys are so focused on playing and training and there is enough responsibility on trying to perform yourself. So for me, you find that takes most of your focus and concentration."

Birmingham City preparations affected

Birmingham have been forced to close their Wast Hills Training Ground following a fire in the early hours of Friday morning.

A club statement said there were no injuries during the incident, but the facility has been closed until further notice, disrupting preparations for Saturday’s Championship match away to Wigan.

The 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.”