Garry Monk is preparing to start 22-year-old Connal Trueman in goal for Birmingham on the opening day of the season against Norwich after refusing to recall David Stockdale to first-team contention, according to the Birmingham Mail.

What's the story, then?

The Birmingham Mail report that after leaving Stockdale off the pre-season trip to Austria and making him train with the kids, Monk is unwilling to grant him a return to the first-team picture.

They say that means that Trueman, whose senior experience amounts to four games on loan at Solihull Moors and nothing more, will make his competitive Blues debut against the Canaries this weekend.

The report says that Monk has been hugely impressed with Trueman in pre-season, to the extent that he will stick with him instead of the more experienced Stockdale when the Championship campaign kicks off.

Monk's stubbornness has gone too far

Monk understandably had grand plans at the start of the summer when he marginalised Stockdale, and offloading his bumper wages in order to spend elsewhere is a reasonably good plan.

However, the Blues' transfer embargo has put the brakes on transfer activity and now that the alternative is throwing in a hugely untested youngster in Trueman, Monk must attempt to reintegrate Stockdale.

Although every fan wants to see young players given a chance - and the success of Bailey Peacock-Farrell at Leeds United should inspire Trueman - putting a rookie 22-year-old in goal for a side that still has a number of issues is a massive risk.

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