Chesterfield striker Kabongo Tshimanga will return to training after his move to Birmingham City dramatically collapsed on deadline day. The 25-year-old seemed set for a dream transfer to the Championship until a hitch emerged in the final hour.

As a result, the striker was left out of last Saturday’s National League win at Oldham and could play for the first time against Gateshead this weekend. Gary Roberts, first-team coach, told reporters: “He is back in tomorrow. With Kabby, it has been a rough couple of days for him with the (transfer) window shutting and stuff like that.

Why it matters for Chesterfield

The failure to close a deal for Tshimanga left Blues a striker down over the course of the window after Sam Cosgrove left on loan for Plymouth. Scott Hogan, Troy Deeney, and Lukas Jutkiewicz are John Eustace’s remaining options up front.

Current context

CategoryStat
League standing6th in League Two, 79 pts, 21W-16D-9L from 46 games
Recent formDLWWD
Goals this season71 scored, 56 conceded (+15 goal difference)
Title race8 points behind leaders Bromley
Last resultNotts County 0-0 Chesterfield (2026-05-15)

The Spireites will look to bounce back from their recent form, with Tshimanga's return to training a welcome boost. As Chesterfield look to push for a higher league position, they will need all their players fit and ready, including Tshimanga, who has dominated the non-league scoring charts for the last three seasons.