Cole can deliver Dugarry effect - Bruce

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce is hoping Andy Cole can have the same galvanising impact as Christophe Dugarry did after his arrival at the club four years ago.

Cole has joined the Blues on loan from Portsmouth for the rest of the season as the midlands team seek an instant return to the Barclays Premiership.

Bruce believes the former England striker – who makes his debut against Coventry tomorrow – can have the same effect as Frenchman Dugarry who helped Blues stave off relegation from the Premiership in 2003 when he arrived on loan from Bordeaux.

Bruce told the club’s official website, www.blues.co.uk: “I can’t remember a better training session than the one we had on Tuesday (Cole’s first day) and that was simply because Andy had walked into the building.

“That’s what it does when you get somebody like that.

“Dugarry had the same effect with his first training session and I detected that was the same with Andy as well which can only help us.

“He’s got that presence, confidence and air about him.

“To get somebody like Andy Cole has got to be the right thing to do and we hope it is.

“I don’t see it as any kind of gamble.”

The former Manchester United, Newcastle and Manchester City forward is set to feature against a resurgent Sky Blues side who are unbeaten in six games since the arrival of manager Iain Dowie.

Bruce knows his side will face a far tougher proposition than the previous meeting between the clubs in October when Blues claimed a 1-0 victory at the Ricoh Arena.

With four wins and two draws in their last six games, the Sky Blues are one of the division’s form teams and Bruce admits he has been impressed, singling out former Blues striker Dele Adebola.

“I saw Coventry in their last game against Barnsley and they were terrific,” he continued.

“It was as good a performance as I’ve seen from anybody in the Championship.

“Up front he looked like the Dele Adebola of old from five or six years ago and really fit and healthy.

“They’ve sold all their tickets so the supporters of Coventry are obviously enthused by what Iain Dowie has done over the last six weeks.

“I’m sure at the time Iain was appointed, Coventry were hoping that he could come in and inject something into them and give them a new outlook.

“And they are certainly refreshed because they are unbeaten in the six games since he’s been there.”

Gary McSheffrey misses out on facing his former team as he serves the final instalment of a three-game suspension, and he is joined on the sidelines by Julian Gray, who serves a one-match ban.

And the game is likely to come too early for centre-half Bruno N’Gotty who continues to be troubled by a hamstring problem.