Bruce will have no hesitation in picking unsettled Savage if needed

Birmingham City manager Steve Bruce will not hesitate to pick wantaway Robbie Savage if he feels his inclusion will benefit the team.

Savage, who is suspended for today’s FA Cup tie with Leeds, played in the reserves against Newcastle on Thursday after handing in a transfer request on Monday.

Bruce left the Welsh international out of the Premiership clash with Bolton on Tuesday but will assess matters ahead of next weekend’s game with Charlton before deciding to recall him.

Bruce said: “If we need to win a game and I need to pick him, then I’ll pick him. He’s our player. It’s as simple as that.

“I didn’t think it was appropriate the other night against Bolton because of his mind-set after handing in a transfer request.

“I’ll look at the whole situation next weekend against Charlton. If I have to pick him, I’ve got no qualms about that.

“As a player he has done more than most and helped me more than most in the last two and a half years. I just think he has been badly advised and had his head turned by a better offer.”

Bruce repeated that Savage was going nowhere unless Blackburn, having had two bids rejected, met Birmingham’s £3.5m valuation of the player.

Meanwhile, Birmingham are to appeal against the FA misconduct charge handed to striker Clinton Morrison after a clash with Bolton’s Nicky Hunt on Tuesday.

Morrison was clearly seen to shove Hunt, but Bruce insists that he was only reacting after having had his toe stood on by the Bolton defender.

Bruce said: “We are going to appeal. We have got video evidence of the lad (Nicky Hunt) standing on Clinton’s toe. I am not going to say it was intentional, because I don’t think it was, but Clinton has pushed him away like any normal reaction would be.

“When someone stands on your toe it is not very nice, especially with the boots they wear these days which are like slippers. He’s got a bruised toe. What happened was a push for goodness sake, handbags type of stuff.”