BLUES v Coventry preview

After a dissapointing defeat in London to Queens Park Rangers last tuesday night Alex McLeish will be looking for a return to form as they host midlands rivals Coventry at St Andrews tonight.

With promotion rivals Wolves and Reading both winning on Saturday, tonights game becomes all the more important in terms of grinding out another 3 points.

New loan signing Nicky Hunt looks set to go straight into the starting 11 while Seb Larsson and Rahdi Jaidi are both back into the 16 man squad after over comming their respective injuries. However in form Gary O'Connor will miss the clash with a groin problem along with David Murphy (knee) Stuart Parnaby (hamstring) Stephen Kelly (thigh) Gary McSheffrey (knee) and Damien Johnson (back).

In terms of the visitors they will be without striker Leon McKenzie with a tigh injury along with Stephen Wright and Jay Tabb who are both doubts for the clash.

Blues currently sit second in the championship 4 points behind Wolves with a game in hand and although Blues have taken 10 points from their last 5 games tonights midlands derby could prove to be a potential banana skin. "Coventry will be up for it and will come here hoping to cause an upset," said McLeish. "We need to give them respect and this means that every one of our players has to play to his best level."

MATCH ODDS

BLUES 8/13 DRAW 13/5 COVENTRY 5/1