The stakes are high as Birmingham and Stoke clash in an intriguing match at St Andrews on Saturday.
Blues aim to double up while Potters look to bounce back
The stakes are high as Birmingham and Stoke clash in an intriguing match at St Andrews on Saturday.
Both teams will be anxious to build early season momentum and will have pencilled this game in as one they can win.
Blues boss Alex McLeish is desperate for his side to make St Andrews into a fortress after eight draws in his 13 home games in charge two seasons ago were a major factor in them being relegated.
He will be looking for more of the same after the Blues posted a last-gasp win over Portsmouth in midweek.
If the Blues can double up against the Potters, it will give McLeish's side a solid base from which to build upon.
But Stoke will prove tough opponents as they look to bounce back from their 4-0 hammering at Liverpool in midweek.
This defeat followed a solid 2-0 victory over Burnley in the season's opener and boss Tony Pulis will be expecting a maximum effort from his players here.
Team news
McLeish will check on the fitness of left-back Gregory Vignal and striker Cameron Jerome before finalising his side.
Vignal and Jerome suffered hip and ankle injuries respectively during the midweek victory over Pompey.
Stuart Parnaby is expected to replace Vignal if he is ruled out with record signing Christian Benitez a candidate to take over from Jerome should he fail to recover.
Midfielder Lee Bowyer returns to the squad after completing a three-match ban for his sending-off at Preston at the tail-end of last season.
Stoke boss Pulis, meanwhile, has revealed he is contemplating bringing attacking duo Ricardo Fuller and Liam Lawrence back into the starting line up.
The City boss opted to name the pair on the substitutes' bench ahead of Wednesday's 4-0 reverse at Anfield, but he admits he could throw them straight back into the firing line at St Andrews
He told the club's
official website: "With having three away games in the space of a week I thought it was best to freshen things up a little bit at Liverpool.
"We have a big game with Birmingham coming up, and then with Leyton Orient in the week too it could take its toll on the players.
"Ricardo and Liam give absolutely everything in every game they play and I thought we needed to maybe give them a little rest.
"They are both massively important players for this football club and I am hoping they are fresh now and maybe so are one or two others."
Possible starting XIs
Birmingham: Hart, Carr, Queudrue, Roger Johnson, Vignal, Larsson, Ferguson, Fahey, McFadden, Jerome, O'Connor.
Stoke: Sorensen, Wilkinson, Ab Faye, Shawcross, Higginbotham, Delap, Lawrence, Whitehead, Etherington, Beattie, Fuller.
