Nafti set for return to training

Birmingham midfielder Mehdi Nafti is poised to return to training later this week after seven months out of action.

The Tunisian international has been sidelined since rupturing a cruciate ligament in his knee during the pre-season friendly with Deportivo La Coruna.

Blues boss Steve Bruce was initially resigned to losing Nafti for the entire campaign but he has made encouraging progress with his rehabilitation programme.

Bruce told PA Sport: “Nafti made a huge impact for us towards the end of last season. He is someone who is a right competitor and gives it everything.

“He hasn’t kicked a ball for us this season and is another one of the long-term injuries we have suffered but we are hopeful he will be joining in with training very soon.”

Bruce signed 27-year-old Nafti on loan from Racing Santander for the second half of last season and he completed a £700,000 permanent switch to St Andrews in the summer.

Bruce has received more encouraging news with skipper Kenny Cunningham and striker Chris Sutton both winning their battles to be fit for Saturday’s home clash with Tottenham.

The duo are back in training after groin and hip problems respectively.

Cunningham has started only one of the last nine games while Sutton missed the matches with Middlesbrough and West Brom.

But Jiri Jarosik (hamstring) and Julian Gray (ankle) are unlikely to have recovered for the weekend while Matthew Upson continues to give cause for concern regarding his groin injury.

Blues have even contacted Upson’s former club Arsenal and their physio Gary Lewin for advice as the injury is similar to the one sustained earlier in the campaign by Thierry Henry.

Upson has had two injections to try to cure a problem which has so far kept him out of action for six weeks – double the time Bruce had originally predicted.