Q: How would you describe his impact so far? Any traits that immediately stand out?
BD: It would be wrong to go too overboard on the impact because he's only had one start and six appearances off the bench. But in three-and-a-half hours of Championship football he's made a positive impression. He's a little dynamo, very energetic, works hard, carries the ball well, has obvious technical ability and despite often being one of the smaller players on the pitch needs no second invitation to get stuck in. So far, so very promising.
Read more: Ten Hag suggests solutions for United squad issue
Q: He's had to bide his time for a first start. How did he fare on his full debut against Bristol City last weekend?
BD: The door finally opened when it became obvious Juninho Bacuna needed a rest and as a result Mejbri ended up playing as one of two No. 8s alongside 18-year-old George Hall. He did well. He played with a freedom but also within quite a structured midifeld. He always looked to play forward, wasn't afraid to go at defenders and was the most fouled player on the pitch. He also conceded the joint-most free kicks and was deservedly yellow carded for a foul on Nahki Wells. Hannibal is at Blues to learn the game and experiences such as Saturday's will be an important part of that.
Q: How have the fans taken to him?
BD: They really like him. A few had been calling for his full debut to come earlier but most understood why he's being phased in. I think what's stuck out most to fans is how much he's bought into the club, when Blues win he celebrates like he feels it and fans have noticed that. In many ways the whole midfield scrapper, touched with a bit of quality, goes down really well at St Andrew's.
Q: What's Birmingham manager John Eustace said?
BD: Not very much. Blues' head coach seems intent on playing down any kind of hype. When he wasn't in the side it was a case of 'his time will come' and when he did play he praised the 19-year-old but quickly moved on to talking about others. It will be interesting to see if he can keep a lid on things if Hannibal continues to play and starts to excel - because he certainly has the quality to do both.
Q: Tahith Chong obviously impressed on loan at Birmingham last season before joining from United permanently. Are there signs Hannibal can be just as good?
BD: Chong was central to Blues' team from the moment he walked through the door last season and he quickly assumed the creative burden for Lee Bowyer. His injury was a huge set-back for the whole season. Hannibal isn't as integral yet. Blues have Chong and Bacuna slightly ahead of him in the No. 8 pecking order - and they also have a couple of their own young midfielders, Hall and Jordan James who will get game time. For the next few weeks at least Hannibal will have to make the most of his opportunities but if he continues to progress it's not too difficult to see him being a regular by the end of the campaign.
READ MORE:
