Birmingham City out for FA Cup cheer

Cup competitions have given Birmingham fans something to cheer this season, so they will be looking to repeat their Carling Cup success in the FA Cup - but they need to get past Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.

Alex McLeish's side came back to earth with an almight bump following their Carling Cup win when they were beaten by West Bromwich Albion 3-1 at the weekend.

They managed to move themselves back out of the Premier League relegation zone with a 1-1 draw against Everton in midweek, when a Jean Beausejour goal being cancelled out by Johnny Heitinga.

This weekend's FA Cup clash with Europa League-chasing Bolton provides a bit of respite for the Premier League strugglers, but games are coming thick and fast for the Blues and there are having little chance to get any rest.

Some fans seem to be calling for McLeish to make the changes as he has done in the previous round and put in the kids to give the first-teamers a bit of a break so they can be fresh when they resume their Premier League relegation battle.

Birmingham are 7/4 to win the game on Saturday and have had an easier route through the FA Cup so far, beating Millwall, Coventry and Sheffield Wednesday, but Bolton will pose a much tougher test for them.

David Bentley suffered a groin injury during that Everton match and the on-loan Spurs midfielder will miss this game, while Alexander Hleb remains on the sidelines with a long-standing knee problem and Craig Gardner is still struggling with a calf problem.

McLeish could turn to Barry Ferguson but the Scot requires pain-killing injections adter playing the final parts of the Carling Cup final with a cracked rib. Another big boost is the return of Nikola Zigic from a groin strain.

Bolton, 6/4 to win the game, are undefeated at the Reebok Stadium in their last eight matches and have won four of their last five matches in all competitions, but their form on the road has been patchy and that could be a source of confidence for Birmingham.

The loss of on-loan Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge as he is cup-tied will be a big blow to their aspirations of victory as he has been their main goalscoring threat in recent weeks.

They have beaten Premier League rivals Wigan and Fulham in the last two rounds and go into this game without the defensive duo of Zat Knight and Sam Ricketts, while Sean Davis and Joey O'Brien are both ruled out for the rest of the season.

How this game goes could depend on how both managers decide to approach the game as Birmingham and Bolton have one eye on their Premier League battles at opposite ends of the table.