Birmingham's on-loan striker Lukas Jutkiewicz has revealed the squad were stunned to learn of Gary Rowett's dismissal last week, expressing his views in quotes published by The Birmingham Mail.

The Blues were sat seventh in the table last week when Rowett was relieved of his duties, with Italian Gianfranco Zola coming in to replace him, in a shock decision that earned vast criticism from the footballing world.

Zola's first match in charge this weekend ended in bitter disappointment as Glenn Murray scored a last-gasp winner to secure all three points for Brighton, following an impressive performance from a Birmingham side who had just one training session with their new boss before Saturday's big match.

Speaking after the game Jutkiewicz, who scored his sixth goal of the season in the defeat, the Burnley-owned forward admitted the squad were shocked by Rowett's departure.

"Shocked is probably the right word because nobody had heard any whispers or anything like that. We had come in on the Wednesday morning for a warm-down after a hard fought victory over Ipswich and it's kind of the last thing anyone even expected."

"We were told to wait around after training for a meeting, we had no clue - we certainly didn't think it was going to be that. Being in football a long while nothing really should shock you but it certainly took us by surprise."

Birmingham now have a week with their new boss to prepare for a vital clash with a Derby County side on the 27th December, who sit two points and one position above them in the Championship standings.

A victory for the Blues would see them reclaim seventh spot in the table and could move level on points with sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday if other results go in their favour, whilst a defeat could leave Zola's men six points behind the play-off spots.

Blues fans.... What do you make of his words? Did you share the same shock at Jutkiewicz? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!