Instead, the Blues' new recruit will be training in a bid to step up his fitness in the hope of making his debut in the Premiership away game at Charlton next weekend.
David Dunn, Mario Melchiot, Muzzy Izzet and Mikael Forssell are other absentees for the trip to Plainmoor but manager Steve Bruce has vowed to field a strong line-up for the game against one of the Football League's basement side's.