Birmingham City manager Garry Monk has insisted that his side will not target Aston Villa star Jack Grealish in the Second City derby meeting this weekend, reports the Birmingham Mail.

The 23-year old, who made his return from a lengthy spell on the sidelines through injury last weekend, returned to the starting 11 in some style against Derby County.

The Villa playmaker was given the captain's armband and put in a majestic performance throughout - an impressive display that was capped off with a scintillating goal of the season contender.

The Villa talisman has been a constant threat for opposition defences this season, and is currently one of the most fouled players in the division according to statistics, but Monk, who insisted that Villa have the best attacking force in the league, has also stated that his side will not single out Grealish this weekend.

The Blues boss said: "I don’t care about any of that, it will be what it will be.

"I am not concerned about any of their players, it’s not my responsibility to worry about if a player is diving or falling over too much."

It is shaping to be a fiery affair at St. Andrew's this weekend, with a place in the play-offs still very much a possibility for both sides come the end of the season.

Birmingham currently sit 8th in the Sky Bet Championship table, four points off the top six and three places above Villa, who currently occupy 11th spot.

The Verdict

This is a very interesting and intriguing claim by Monk, ahead of what is bound to be a very fiery occasion in the West Midlands.

This could be seen as mind games by the former Leeds and Swansea boss, as he has clearly thought about how much Grealish gets fouled.

He is so important to Villa, and if they can nullify his threat, then Birmingham have a real chance of picking up all three points this weekend.