Birmingham City were one of the Championship frontrunners at one point this season but following the arrival of Gianfranco Zola, things have come to a steady halt down at St Andrews.

The Italian is still yet to win a game since being appointed by Birmingham's new Trillion Trophy Asia owners but has been quick to add to his squad in the transfer window.

With some financial backing now available at the club, Zola has brought in Lukas Jutkiewicz on a permanent deal, Craig Gardner, Emilio Nsue and Cheick Keita.

Whether all the new additions come together and work well is yet to be seen but with Saturday's game against Blackburn Rovers edging ever-closer, we might get the chance to check-out the new-look Birmingham City sooner rather than later.

So with that in mind, here's the XI we think Zola should pick for the game at Ewood Park...

GK: Tomasz Kuszczak

Polish veteran Tomasz Kuszczak is still playing at a high level and looks a real force for Birmingham City between the sticks again this season.

He's a player that never seems to age and to have a man of his quality and experience available week-in, week-out is nothing but a good thing for the Blues.

RB: Emilio Nsue

With Jonathan Spector expected to leave the club in the coming days, we'd like to see former Boro defender Emilio Insue make his first-team bow against Rovers this weekend.

He's a defender whose blessed with lightning-quick pace and the real ability to beat a man, something we've not seen from a Birmingham full-back for some time now.

CB: Michael Morrison

Central defence is arguably the easiest position to pick out a couple of players for Birmingham, because Michael Morrison and Ryan Shotton have both been very good for the majority of the season.

Former Huddersfield Town man Morrison is Birmingham's captain and leader on the pitch and much of the time, it's up to him to rally his team-mates when the going gets tough.

CB: Ryan Shotton

Former Stoke City man Ryan Shotton has really settled at St Andrews following his summer move and it's good to see the defender getting regular minutes in the side.

He was criticised by fans at both the Britannia and Derby County, where he spent time on-loan, for not being strong enough but alongside Morrison, Shotton has looked a great addition to the side.

LB: Cheick Keita

This would be a very bold move from Zola indeed but when you need a win, sometimes the best thing to do is to take a risk.

Throwing 20-year-old Frenchman Cheick Keita into the mix for the game against Rovers would represent a serious gamble but at this moment in time, it's imperative Birmingham do all they can to get wins.

The youngster is quick, agile and loves getting forward. Surely that's the only way to play against a side in the relegation zone?

CDM: Maikel Kieftenbeld

As the Blues midfield grows, it's getting more and more difficult to select players in this area of the pitch.

But one man that really makes a difference for Birmingham is Dutch midfielder Maikel Kieftenbeld, who is a real presence in the middle-of-the-park.

Excellent at cutting out play, he really puts himself about and makes himself known to the opposition throughout every minute of the match.

CDM: David Davis

Another real powerhouse in the midfield for Birmingham is David Davis, who has enjoyed a really successful season having been on the fringes of the squad during the last campaign.

He might have to take more of a back role again thanks to the signing of Craig Gardner but like Kieftenbeld, you know what you're going to get from the former Wolves man.

Passion, heart and plenty of crunching tackles.

RM: David Cotterill

David Cotterill looked like Birmingham's biggest threat against Newcastle United on Wednesday evening, and he deserves to keep his place in the side for the tie against Blackburn this weekend.

The Welsh international brings pace, a cracking delivery and the ability to score goals to the Blues flank and when he's in-form and firing, Birmingham are a better team for it.

CAM: Craig Gardner

Former Blues favourite Craig Gardner is back at the club and we're tipping him to get his first start under Zola on Saturday.

The midfielder, renowned for his ability to score thunderous long-range goals will be looking to get back amongst the action for the Blues against Blackburn and help his side to their first victory under Gianfranco Zola.

LM: Che Adams

Che Adams has looked extremely lively for the Blues over the past couple of weeks, and the signs suggest that he could be the man to build the squad around in the future.

The former Ilkeston youngster brings so much pace and running to the Birmingham forward-line, and it's important he continues to get time on the pitch as his development continues.

The only thing he arguably needs to add to his game is more goals.

ST: Lukas Jutkiewicz

We want to see Lukas Jutkiewicz lead the line at Ewood Park in a game that is set to be a challenging one for Zola's side.

Despite their lowly league position, Blackburn is not an easy place to go to earn three points and having a presence upfront might be a good way to pull away defenders for the likes of Cotterill and Adams on the night.