Tony Mowbray reunites with a former club for a second successive fixture as Birmingham City host play-off chasers Sunderland on Saturday afternoon.
Blues come into this one with increased confidence after they picked up a vital three points in their last outing against Blackburn Rovers. It was a nightmare return to St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park for John Eustace as the ex-Birmingham boss saw his Rovers team lose by one goal to nil on Tuesday night.
It's a tougher challenge for Mowbray and his men this time around, however, as the Black Cats will be desperate for a win to close the gap to the top six. A surprise 1-0 defeat away at Huddersfield Town on Wednesday has weakened the Black Cats' chances of finishing in the play-off spots but the coin could soon be flipped back around with a win this weekend.
Mowbray, who only left Sunderland back in December, will be all too aware of the club's ambitions. He's likely to show plenty of respect with his team selection as a result, with a near full-strength XI expected to be named. That said, Birmingham won't want to rush injury returnees back too quickly. With that in mind, here's our predicted lineup for Saturday.
1. GK: John Ruddy
Ruddy came back into the XI on Tuesday and was excellent as Birmingham kept a clean sheet.
2. RB: Cody Drameh
Drameh put in a decent shift last time out and probably just about edges out Lee Buchanan - in respect to Laird’s position switch - as things stand.
3. CB: Krystian Bielik
Bielik has transitioned to central defence under Mowbray. He’s still lacking with his positional awareness but his passing out from the back is better than alternatives.
4. CB: Marc Roberts
Roberts captained Blues in the victory midweek and deserved his opportunity. Dion Sanderson is likely to be in the squad but a start might be too risky.