MATCH PREVIEW | Charlton v Birmingham City

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Charlton are back in action at The Valley on Saturday, hosting table toppers Birmingham City (KO 3pm BST).

The sides have already gone toe-to-toe in SE7 this season, with Blues narrowly edging the Carabao Cup first-round tie back in August.

Click here to purchase your tickets for this weekend's game*.

TEAM NEWS

Nathan Jones has provided an update on the fitness of Gassan Ahadme, who was forced off in midweek. Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the gaffer said: “We have been assessing him. He took a blow to the chest which caused him to have some breathing problems. We took him off immediately and have gone through all of the protocols. We need to make sure he is alright.”

Dion Sanderson (foot) could return to the visitors' squad on Saturday, though Ethan Laird (ankle), Lee Buchanan (calf) and Luke Harris (ankle) remain unavailable.

THE OPPOSITION

Following their opening-day draw with Reading, Blues have won seven league fixtures on the spin to leave them five points clear at the top of the Sky Bet League One standings.

Former Addick Alfie May earned Chris Davies' side a 1-0 win at home to Huddersfield Town in midweek.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The two sides have locked horns on 66 previous occasions with the Addicks winning 23, Blues 22 and the remaining 21 fixtures ending in draws.

Birmingham’s last trip to The Valley came just two months ago and saw the visitors prevail in the Carabao Cup first round thanks to Brandon Khela’s long-range strike.

MATCH OFFICIALS

Benjamin Speedie will be the man in the middle this weekend.

Speedie will be assisted by Michael Webb and Jacob Lehane, with Sam Mulhall filling the Fourth Official role.

OTHER INFO

*Due to the fixture being on priority sale, fans must be signed in to their ticketing account in order to purchase Birmingham tickets.  

Saturday marks the club’s annual University of Greenwich Takeover Day. Click here for more information.

The Valley’s Fan Zone will open its doors to supporters from 12.15pm with a range of activities ahead of kick-off - including the Tussle pitch, Giant Connect Four, Jenga, Limbo and Meantime's Mobile Bar.

Bartram's and the Meantime Fans’ Bar will both be open from 12pm, while the Family Activity Zone (FAZ) will be open from 12pm until kick-off. Bartram's will remain open post-match to show Newcastle United's trip to Everton (KO 5.30pm).

Supporters outside of the UK and Ireland can watch every kick of this weekend's action live on CharltonTV, while those inside the UK and Ireland can enjoy live audio commentary from Terry Smith, Greg Stubley and Steve Brown. Click here to purchase your CharltonTV pass.

Fans can buy Valley Gold Jackpot tickets online for the fixture. For every £1 spent on a Jackpot ticket, half goes to the club’s academy to help produce the stars of the future, while the other half goes to the two winners of a cash prize.

Click here to be in with a chance of winning up to £2,000.

Visiting The Valley for the first time? Click here to read the club's Visitors' Guide.

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