Birmingham City's rather unexpected plummet towards the bottom of the table enjoyed a boost last weekend, after they held title-chasing Newcastle to a 0-0 draw at St Andrews this weekend.

The 0-0 blank helped both sides in different ways, with Newcastle gaining points on the likes of Brighton after their defeat to Leeds, whilst for Zola and his team, it was a crucial point earned in their fight against the drop.

Blues have been in free-fall since the Italian joined following Gary Rowett's dismissal at the club and things certainly aren't about to get any easier, with a tough run of fixtures coming up over the next couple of weeks.

But looking ahead, there is plenty for Gianfranco Zola to resolve this summer as he aims to build a team that can compete at the opposite end of the table next season.

So with that in mind, here's THREE Birmingham City stars who Gianfranco Zola must run the rule on over the next few weeks...

AXE: Nikolai Brock-Madsen

Danish striker Nikolai Brock-Madsen was a rather questionable purchase by former manager Gary Rowett, who obviously saw some potential in the former Randers forward.

He was shipped out to PEC Zwolle by Rowett before he was dismissed this season and has managed fairly well, but it's unlikely we'll see him play under Zola, particularly considering the £1million transfer of Lukas Jutkiewicz in January.

He's one that is more than expected to leave this summer.

AXE: Greg Stewart

The former Dundee winger was another player that was signed by Gary Rowett and the early signs were seriously promising.

But again, with Gianfranco Zola now at the helm, the Scotsman is struggling for game-time and like any player that should be hitting the peak of their career, time on the pitch is key to development.

With that not happening, expect Zola to get rid of Stewart at the end of the season to bring in players he thinks will take the club forward.

KEEP: Paul Robinson

Arguably one of the more difficult decisions in this list will be the future of Paul Robinson, who has really had to step up in the absence of Michael Morrison this campaign.

At 38-years-old, "Robbo" is no spring chicken but swells passion and pride every time he steps foot on the pitch for Blues.

But a decision will have to be made on his future and if he can continue playing then great, if not, then the club should definitely offer him a coaching role if that's something he'd be interested in.