Birmingham boss Alex McLeish wants his strikers to prove themselves worthy of selection in the final stages of the relegation dogfight.

Survival hopes have been hit by the knee injury to record signing James McFadden who is sidelined for a further two matches.

As The Blues hover just one point above the drop zone, McLeish with just three wins since replacing Steve Bruce in December is looking for some spirit in the frontline when they entertain Manchester City on Saturday.

“I emphasise that we believe in the guys coming in maybe a little bit more than they believe in themselves sometimes,” McLeish told the club’s website.

“They’ve just got to free themselves of any little doubts that they have and show that they are top Premier League players.”

Mcleish believes the first half form produced against the likes of Newcastle and Arsenal holds the key to a successful conclusion to the campaign.

“If we can show that form we’re a match for anybody, but we need to turn some of the tangible work into three points.”