Birmingham City’s 2022/23 Championship campaign gets underway on Saturday with a trip to Luton Town.
Blues hammered the Hatters 5-0 at Kenilworth Road last season before completing the double with a 3-0 win at St Andrew’s last February.
The realists among the fan base aren’t expecting lightning to strike twice in this one but stranger things have happened in football.
Saturday will mark the first time that John Eustace takes charge of Birmingham in a competitive fixture and whilt pre-season always gives you a taster, this weekend will provide the main event of what to expect from a Eustace side this campaign.
The players seem fired up for it with many including captain Troy Deeney, eager to prove a lot of the outside chatter wrong.
It may just be match day one but it’s a big game and a positive result could go along way to settling a few nerves for what is going to be a tough season ahead.
Here’s the line-up in full that we believe Eustace may go with to get the job done in Bedfordshire.
9. CM - Juninho Bacuna
Will win games on his own this season - vital to Blues that he stays fit. Photo: Catherine Ivill
10. ST - Troy Deeney
Deeney is back and fired up for the new season. In his own words he and the rest of the team are looking to prove everybody wrong. | Getty Images
11. ST - Scott Hogan
Hogan has looked really good this week in the build up to the game and will likely start alongside Deeney. Hopefully we could see a winning partnership with these two. | Getty Images