Izzet set for Blues return

Birmingham midfielder Muzzy Izzet is poised to return to action after injury in tomorrow’s vital Barclays Premiership meeting with West Brom at St Andrews.

The former Leicester player missed the 1-0 defeat at Middlesbrough last weekend with a calf injury – the latest in a series of setbacks in the past 18 months.

But Blues manager, Steve Bruce, is pessimistic about the chances of centre-backs Matthew Upson and Kenny Cunningham being available. Upson had an injection in a groin problem in a bid to make him fit enough to play, but his chances are very slim – along with skipper Cunningham, who has also been sidelined with a groin injury.

Provisional squad: Maik Taylor, Melchiot, Martin Taylor, Bruce, Latka, Gray, Lazaridis, Painter, Pennant, Johnson, Izzet, Butt, Clemence, Jarosik, Dunn, Heskey, Campbell, Forssell, Kilkenny, Vaesen.