The influential Blues midfielder, who underwent an operation on his back during the summer, was given the all-clear by specialists last week to return to first team football and he is poised for his first game since December last year when Keith Bertschin's side take on the Baggies reserves at The Hawthorns next Monday night. "If you look at the statistics, regarding when he is in the team and when he is not in the team, then you will see exactly what a big player he is for us. "He is a big, big player for us and it will be like having a new player when he returns. "We need to have that bit of luck if we are going to be successful in hoping that Dunny, Emile Heskey, Mikael Forssell, Muzzy Izzet and Stan Lazaridis all stay physically fit. "He has got another week or so of serious training and we hope he will be ready after that. I don't think he could be in better shape."
"The fact that he got the all-clear to resume full training last week gave everyone a lift and a buzz," Blues boss Steve Bruce has said.
"All the Birmingham fans know how vital he is. In that first six months he was here, we were in the top six of the Premier League and played some of our best stuff since being promoted.