Birmingham City have made a solid start to the new Sky Bet Championship season, with the Blues currently sitting seventh in the league, a point outside of the top six.

Gary Rowett's side haven't shied away from topping last season's tenth position in the league and, with only a handful of new summer arrivals, Birmingham look to be pushing for a return to the top-flight after a six-year absence.

The likes of James Vaughan, Che Adams and Lukas Jutkiewicz, the latter on loan from Premier League side Burnley, have all impressed in the Blues' shirt this season, and that looks set to continue with confidence high.

Although the team's form has stuttered a bit over recent weeks, having won just one of their five matches and conceding nine goals during that period, it looks like Rowett may have to make some tough decisions by axing a few under-performers in the starting eleven.

Here, FootballLeagueWorld writer Ryan White identifies THREE Birmingham players who Rowett needs to wield his axe on...

Clayton Donaldson

The 32-year-old has been with Birmingham since joining in the summer of 2014.

The forward offers pace and has an eye for goal in the Championship, as proven by a decent track record in the second tier.

He has made over 100 appearances for the Midlands-based club and scored on 30 occasions, including four this season - that's a ratio of one goal every three and a bit matches.

With the striker in slow decline as he enters the wrong side of 30, Donaldson hasn't been short of receiving criticism this campaign, largely down to his poor return of hitting the net.

Nevertheless, he continues to start under Rowett, but the manager may need to axe him soon.

David Cotterill

David Cotterill has been at St Andrew's for the same period of time as Donaldson, arriving in 2014 after choosing to move closer to his family in Wales having rejected a new contract at Doncaster Rovers.

The winger has appeared 84 times for Birmingham City, with fourteen goals to his name.

He also has 24 caps for Wales since making his international debut in 2005, but the 29-year-old's ability to keep up with the demands of the Championship is decreasing.

Cotterill is slowly losing his pace and failing to meet the demands of football in the second tier, so Rowett may need to axe him as soon as possible and bring someone younger and more eager to help Birmingham challenge for the top-six.

Viv Solomon-Otabor

Solomon-Otabor was promoted to the first-team at Birmingham City when he signed his first professional contract two years ago.

The former Crystal Palace youngster had impressed at the club so much that he was labelled the next 'big thing'.

The 20-year-old winger has spent time out on loan at Oxford in 2014 when they were in League Two, so he has picked up little, but vital experience in his way to become an established Championship footballer.

Although the potential is there, many supporters feel Solomon-Otabor needs to be sent out loan away from the team, as he is struggling to get a look in under Rowett.

Perhaps not axed permanently having picked up the club's Young Player of the Year award last season, but he momentarily needs to spend time away from Birmingham.

Birmingham fans... do you agree? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!