McFadden was missing from the side that beat Watford 3-2 at St Andrews on Saturday and manager Alex McLeish has revealed that scans have shown that the Scotland international forward has an abductor problem meaning that he needs at least two weeks rest. "He has a bit of a groin problem, an abductor problem," McLeish told the Birmingham Mail. "We got the scans back and he needs a couple of weeks rest. We've got to get him right because he has been in fantastic form. "In fact, before the Wolves game he told me after the warm-up that his abductors were a little bit sore but he would get through it and the way he played that day, he defied belief. "He's that type of guy, he just wants to play all the time. "He will have a wee niggle but he will still want a five-a-side in training or something. He's still at an age where he doesn't really know his body. "So it's a blow for us, because he was in fantastic form, but the rest is to ensure that we've got James McFadden for the rest of the season."
"We feel that if we force him through this very tough period, it could mean long-term difficulties.