Benitez still awaiting starting place

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is weighing up whether to hand a full Premier League debut to striker Christian Benitez in Sunday’s derby with Aston Villa at St Andrews.

Benitez has impressed as a substitute since his summer move from Santos Laguna after slowly building up his fitness following a shoulder operation.

It may depend on Benitez’s physical condition after returning from two World Cup qualifiers with Ecuador.

Fellow striker Cameron Jerome is again sidelined with an ankle injury while former Villa striker Kevin Phillips is likely to be amongst the substitutes against his former club.

Birmingham (from): Hart, Maik Taylor, Parnaby, R Johnson, Queudrue, Carr, Larsson, Carsley, Ferguson, Bowyer, McFadden, O’Connor, Fahey, Benitez, McSheffrey, O’Shea, Espinoza, Phillips, Vignal, D Johnson.