Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town will both kick off their pre-season schedules on Friday, when they meet in a friendly in Portugal. The two sides both headed to the continent in preparation for their upcoming Championship and League One campaigns respectively. This fixture marks the first game of 2026-27 pre-season for both clubs.
Birmingham City’s Championship Ambitions
Birmingham City will play their first game of pre-season in Portugal as they build towards a second consecutive Championship campaign. After earning promotion from League One at the first time of asking under Chris Davies, the Blues ended last term in 10th spot in England’s second tier.
The Midlands outfit secured 64 points from their 46 matches, scoring 57 goals and conceding 56. Their top-six hopes faded away in a poor eight-game span which produced six defeats between late February and early April. However, Birmingham did at least end the season on a positive note, going five games unbeaten and winning three of those.
While questions arose around the security of Davies’s position given the ambition of the club, he and his side will now gear up for a second term. The club’s hopes are set on building and mounting a more sustained push for the top six. Their bid will kick off on Friday as part of their pre-season camp before they return to English soil for friendlies with Crewe Alexandra and Northampton Town ahead of the start of the term in August.
Huddersfield Town’s New Era in League One
Huddersfield Town, meanwhile, will play their first game of a new era after seeing a permanent managerial switch over the summer. The Terriers’ last two seasons ended in disappointment, as they failed to earn promotion out of League One or even make the playoffs.
During those two terms, Huddersfield had spells under Michael Duff, Jon Worthington, Lee Grant, and Liam Manning. Jon Stead and Martin Drury then oversaw the end of the 2025-26 term, which culminated in a ninth-placed finish for the club, placing them eight points short of the top six. They have since opted to give Drury the reins permanently ahead of their third straight season in the third tier.
With hopes of challenging for automatic promotion and a return to the Championship, Huddersfield have already seen plenty of movements in and out of the club in the summer transfer window. They will now hope to kick off a fresh start with their busy pre-season camp in Portugal before ramping up the preparations at home.
Squad Updates and Pre-Season Preparations
For Birmingham City, Chris Davies may opt to field a separate XI for each half of Friday’s friendly or at least rotate throughout in an effort to develop fitness across his squad. Defender Jonathan Panzo is no longer with the club, having departed after the 2025-26 campaign.
New arrival Dael Fry, who joined as a free agent from Middlesbrough, may make a first start in Blue. However, Ethan Laird has missed out on pre-season thus far with an injury, and Lee Buchanan also remains sidelined. This could mean Bright Osayi-Samuel or other players may feature.
This friendly in Portugal serves as an initial step for both Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town in their comprehensive pre-season schedules, as they prepare for the demands of their respective league campaigns.