Town boss Mick McCarthy is pleased to have Brett Pitman available again after injury and says his senior pros such as the 28-year-old striker, skipper Luke Chambers, Jonathan Douglas and Luke Varney are vital members of the squad as the Blues look to turn their season around.
Pitman came off the bench during Saturday’s 1-1 home draw with Cardiff City having played for the U23s on the previous Monday after recovering from the ankle injury he suffered at Leeds at the end of September.
The Jersey-born frontman is likely to be on the bench again at Birmingham tonight with McCarthy feeling he’s not yet ready to start.
"He’s getting closer but he’s had 10 weeks off and he came back and played 90 minutes in the U23s and then came on for 20 minutes on Saturday.
"It’s a big ask that to start from that. If he starts, he probably wouldn’t get through it, it’s not an U23s game. But he’s getting closer, certainly. He’s involved.”
The Town boss says the former AFC Bournemouth and Bristol City man was a significant loss while he was on the sidelines.
"We have missed him,” he admitted. "I thought he was doing exceptionally well when he got injured. We’ve had those problems, Didz did his ankle ligaments and was out for 10 to 12 weeks, the same with Brett.
"It’s great to have them both back. Brett is a winner and he’s a proper whinger on the pitch, he’s a proper grumpy man.
"But I like him for that because it’s generally because he likes to win. He doesn’t suffer fools gladly, that’s for sure.”
McCarthy believes you need players who are like that: "I was one myself, I don’t mind that. It’s not always nice when it’s said and the person who is receiving that information doesn’t always appreciate it.
"But it’s always - even me when I was a player - meant with the best intentions. It’s how it’s said, of course. But he’s a good character to have around the place.
"He certainly doesn’t like like losing and if somebody makes a mistake or somebody’s not doing their job properly he’s quite happy to say it, and it does need to be pointed out.
"It’s all sorted at the whistle and it’s important that players question each other, players challenge each other and it’s not all just coming from the manager and the coach.
"That you’ve got a squad of lads where they can dig each other out, but forget about it afterwards. And, to be fair, that’s the case with us.”
McCarthy has previously said that skipper Luke Chambers is in part in his side at right-back because of what he brings to the team in terms of leadership.
"Chambo’s in because of his huge, vast experience and he’s as good a captain as I’ve ever had,” the Blues manager continued.
"Believe me, if Josh [Emmanuel] was far better than him as a right-back I’d play him, but he’s not, that’s the other reason.
"But he is the real leader of the squad and the more that we could get in the squad, the better. Brett certainly helps that.”
He says it’s crucial to have those types of characters in the side: "It’s vital. I don’t think we played badly on Saturday at all and I [was pleased with] the reaction to going a goal down and getting back in the game.
"As I said afterwards, I think the sending off affected us more than them, strangely enough, because it just disrupted the game and disrupted the flow.
"I think we were on top and we were just as likely to score if they’d had 11 men on the pitch.
"But having Pitman around and having Dougie and Varns, having the experienced ones around, especially the way it is just at the moment, it would be difficult to get back in games if we hadn’t got those players.”
Are the likes of Varney and midfielder Jonathan Douglas, 34 and 35 respectively, up to the rigours of playing three games in eight days? "I’m sure they can. They’re remarkable actually because in the distances covered and high intensity, Dougie’s in the top five every week."
Does much of the former Ireland international’s work go unnoticed by fans? "Yes, when he was coming off on Saturday I think the applause was as much because he was coming off as it was for Bish coming on.
"If the ones who are sat on the bench could do it any better than Dougie, I’d be playing them.”
Regarding Varney, he added: "He is in remarkable shape. Sometimes the temptation is to almost manage them, ‘I wonder, can they do it?’. And they can. Dougie’s a remarkable athlete. Every single week he’s near the top of the distance charts, and Varns is the same.
"It was his snapped achilles that put him out [for a lengthy spell] and then I think he’s just had subsequent injuries because he had such a long time out. But he’s in good shape, he’s trained today, he looks fine.”
He says the more senior players tend to run out victors in the oldies versus young ‘uns training games ahead of matches.
"It’s fits and starts, sometimes the oldies have two or three wins and I think they get a little bit cocky and the young ’uns win a couple,” McCarthy added.
"I think it depends on how the oldies are on a Friday morning because we had a lot of young ‘uns at one stage with the likes of Bish, Dozzer and Wardy. Freddie Sears has moved up to the old team, which is a bit surprising.
"I think it’s just depends a bit on how they approach it. If the oldies approach it properly and they’re all feeling all right and they all do it right [they tend to win].
"But as you get a little older you start thinking, ‘It’s Friday morning, I’m OK, I want to be ready for tomorrow’. But if they approach it properly, it’s generally them that wins.”