THE SATURDAY PREVIEWS: PREMIERSHIP
BIRMINGHAM v LEICESTER
Blues boss Steve Bruce has just 14 fit first team members available for the visit of Leicester, due to injuries, suspensions, the return to France of Christophe Dugarry and the departure of experienced defender Jeff Kenna, on a free transfer to Derby.
But Bruce would be the first to accept that his problems pale into insignificance alongside those of opposite number Micky Adams after the most tortuous week of his managerial career. Like Bruce, Adams is low on numbers too, but for wholly different reasons.
Paul Dickov, Frank Sinclair and Keith Gillespie have all returned to England after a week in custody in Spain, but neither will be considered for the trip to St Andrews where Leicester will need to show all their fighting qualities to get anything out of the game.
Bruce, meanwhile, welcomes back winger Stan Lazaridis who has missed the last four games with a hamstring injury. Damien Johnson is serving a one-match ban and David Dunn is the most serious of the Birmingham treatment room brigade.
Given the decimation of his squad it was somewhat surprising that the Birmingham boss, who could give midfielder Aliou Cisse a rare start, allowed Kenna to go on loan to First Division strugglers Derby, but Bruce explained: "I allowed him to go because he was offered a two-and-a-half year contract with Derby.
"I think they are going to hand him the captaincy and with the guarantee of first team football, how could I deny him that situation? It might not be ideal for us just yet but I could not deny him that opportunity because it might not be there for him in six weeks times.
"I decided for the service he has given to Birmingham over the last two-and-a-half seasons it was the right decision to make in view of him having played such a leading role in the success we have achieved in this period."
Leicester, of course, are massively depleted and this game will provide a huge test of their character, but at least Micky Adams has the relative luxury of being able to concentrate, and talk about, football again.
Points are paramount and Adams needs his whole squad pulling together as he prepares for the mother of all run-ins. The Leicester boss said: "If you had asked me at the beginning of the season, then I would have said staying in the Premiership this season would not have been my best achievement as a manager.
"But, with the way the season has unfolded and the pressure that goes with things, I would now say 'yes it would be'."
SMUDGER'S VERDICT: Birmingham will face a Leicester team with a huge point to prove, and I can see the Foxes leaving with at least a draw.
BLACKBURN v ARSENAL
Graeme Souness admits that his struggling Rovers side are coming up against one of the best sides in Europe this weekend, and he reckons that we haven't even seen the best of the Gunners yet. Heaven help the rest when we do. But despite the odds being stacked against his side, Souness has challenged his players to stand up and be counted tomorrow, saying: "If you want to be seen as a top player, you want to test yourself against the best and my players have got the chance to do that." VERDICT: Another three points for the champions-elect.
BOLTON v CHELSEA
'Collectively they've got £300m worth of talent and we've spent £4.5m in four years! That in itself shows just how difficult life in the Premiership has been for us' says Sam Allardyce as Bolton prepare to welcome moneybags Chelsea. Life has certainly been difficult for Wanderers since their Carling Cup Final defeat and Big Sam is eager for his players to halt the slide before they get sucked into a previously unthinkable relegation battle.
VERDICT: Hard fought draw.
CHARLTON v MIDDLESBROUGH
Goals are rarely in plentiful supply when these two teams meet, although much of that has been down to the performances of the respective defences rather than poor finishing on the part of the strikers. Charlton keeper Dean Kiely has kept four clean sheets in the last five games against Boro and is keen for a repeat against the Carling Cup winners who were boosted by what Steve McClaren called 'our biggest win of the season' at Spurs in the week.
VERDICT: Bore draw.
EVERTON v PORTSMOUTH
With games against the six clubs below them still to come in their final 11 matches of the season, Everton's fate is very much in their own hands and manager David Moyes wants his players to start the dash for freedom tomorrow. Moyes said: "The Portsmouth game is very important for us. A win can open up a gap between ourselves and Portsmouth certainly and then we can start hopefully to climb up into the middle half of the table." Pompey boss Harry Redknapp has other ideas though and ahead of the away clashes at Everton and then Liverpool, he says: "These are both massive matches up there - and probably the biggest week of the season so far for us."
VERDICT: Home advantage means the points will go to Everton.
FULHAM v LEEDS
United boss Eddie Gray recognises that the return to managerial duty of Chris Coleman will give Fulham a timely boost, but he's backing his highly-rated strike force to lead a belated charge out of relegation trouble. "Our front pair can give Fulham problems. Having Mark Viduka and Alan Smith up front gives the rest of the team a huge boost." A last word, fittingly, from fit-again boss Coleman who says: "It was great to be back at the training ground and see the lads again. I want to return to normal as soon as possible and concentrate on our remaining 11 games."
VERDICT: Three points would be perfect tonic for Coleman.
