The Blues midfielder and club captain, who is currently on international duty with Northern Ireland, has declared himself almost ready for a return to Alex McLeish's first team squad. "I picked up a little niggle after the United game so I had an injection a couple of weeks ago and I've been easing myself back in training," Johnson told the Birmingham Mail. "It was nice to get out there. I trained a couple of days last week then played, so that was good. "The result wasn't the best but it was just good to be out there. "Unless I'm fully fit and training every day, I can't complain. I haven't been doing that. Once that happens, I get some sessions under my belt, hopefully everything else will take care of itself and I will get some first-team games, wherever it may be. "I always want to be involved here. But, to be honest, there's not a lot you can do when you're not training every day and you're not available. "And of course, there's a lot of midfielders here. That's the way it has to be. There's a lot of competition. "You need a big squad, there's no doubt about it, and all the lads will probably be needed a various stages. "But at the minute, I've not been much use to anyone."
Johnson has been sidelined with a back problem since the first match of the season against Manchester United but managed ninety minutes for Blues Reserves in their 3-2 defeat against Portsmouth's second string at St Andrews last week.
"I feel OK, all right. It has just been frustrating so far this season for me.