By Aston
September 15 2006

STB brings you team news, manager previews, the officials and betting odds ahead of Towns game against Birmingham City tomorrow (KO 3pm).

Town have a doubt over the fitness of Fabian Wilnis who strained his thigh again. Alex Bruce misses out as part of the deal that brought him to Portman Road over the summer and Owen Garvan is still a long way off fitness.

 

Town manager Jim Magilton: “St Andrews can be an intimidating place to go if you let it become that way, Steve Bruce has done a good job there but they have spent some money and the expectations on them will be to go back up to the Premiership this season.

 

“They know how important it is for them to win promotion given the financial implications but they have started well and are justifiably favourites to go up.

 

“I can see them being there or thereabouts at the end and I expect them to come at us hard from the first whistle on Saturday.

 

“We have to be prepared for that, make sure we don't give them any encouragement or incentives and then try and get a foothold in the game. Once we've done that, we have the players in our side to hurt them.

 

“The lads are flying after three wins and we certainly won't be going there with any fear, respect but not fear.

 

“My players have shown plenty of guts and the character over the last few weeks and we'll be going to St Andrews with confidence that we can get a result.”

 

Town squad: Scott Barron, Dean Bowditch, Billy Clarke, Darren Currie, Jason De Vos, Daniel Harding, Danny Haynes, Alan Lee, Sylvain Legwinski, Jon Macken, Richard Naylor, Mark Noble, Lewis Price, Luis Sito, Shane Supple, Simon Walton, Gavin Williams, Fabian Wilnis.

 

Birmingham will be without striker Nicklas Bendtner who got sent off against QPR, while Stephen Kelly and Mat Saddler are fit and could play.

 

Birmingham manager Steve Bruce: “After a poor start they've won three on the spin, so it will be a tough game, I'm sure it will also be a bit of a different game to what QPR gave us physically wise, because they'll want to get the ball down and pass it.

 

“They've brought some decent players in with the likes of Legwinski from Fulham and Macken from Palace.”

 

Betting Odds (found using Sportsnetwork Odds Checker):

Birmingham: 4/6

Draw: 5/2

Town: 26/5

 

Officials:

Referee: H Webb

Assistants: D Bryan and B Sygmuta

Fourth Official: A Bates

 

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