Birmingham City will come away with a victory that could be vital to their survival hopes when they face Stoke City on Saturday, according to Sky Sports EFL pundit David Prutton.

Seven points from their first four games under Lee Bowyer – all of which came against top six opposition – has left the Blues seven points clear of the bottom three but 22nd-place Rotherham United have four games in hand.

That means Birmingham's future remains out of their hands for the time being and with Sheffield Wednesday mounting a late survival push as well, it could be a very nervy finish to the season down the bottom of the Championship.

A win against Stoke on Saturday would be a massive for Bowyer's side and, for Sky Sports, Prutton has forecasted they will get just that – predicting they'll claim a 1-0 win at St Andrew's.

Should teams above them falter, a victory could see the Blues move as high as 18th in the Championship table.

With 11 points already the gap between Stoke and the top six, defeat tomorrow would mean their play-off hopes are surely dead – if they aren't already.

The Verdict

Bowyer has done a fantastic job at Birmingham in the short time he has been there and after picking up seven points against four top six teams, there's a belief among the squad that wasn't there before.

Their Championship lives are on the line and with the Potters' seemingly heading for a mid-table finish, the fact the Blues have a lot more to play for could mean they overcome Michael O'Neill's side.

It could well be a massive day in the relegation battle, Bowyer's men will want to make sure they're on the right side of the results.