For just the second time in 43 Championship matches this season, Auston Trusty wasn’t involved for Birmingham City on Tuesday night.

One of Arsenal’s more successful loans this season has been Auston Trusty’s spell in the Championship playing for Birmingham City.

The 24-year-old has played 45 times in all competitions so far, including 41 league starts, and his form saw him earn a debut for the United States Men’s National Team in March.

But for just the second time in Birmingham City’s Championship campaign, Trusty was a surprise absentee on Tuesday night.

Birmingham boss John Eustace explained that Trusty had missed out with an illness, so the hope is that he’ll be back involved against Blackpool on Saturday.

In some ways, Birmingham’s season is set to wind down in a rather anticlimactic fashion.

The team are neither competing for promotion, nor at any real risk of relegation. With the play-off places 10 points above, and the relegation spots 11 points below, City sit comfortably between the two.

But with games against relegation-favourites Blackpool, play-off-hopefuls Coventry City, and Sheffield United (who will likely have achieved automatic promotion before the final day), there’s still drama to be had in the last three games.

After that, Trusty will return to Arsenal, with a decision to be made on the best next step for him.

Another loan to the Championship seems unlikely, with the player having now proven himself at that level, but a loan to a top-five league could be beneficial.

In the meantime, we wish him well in his recovery from illness.