Birmingham City manager Steve Cotterill will be glad of the international break that has afforded him nearly two weeks to work with the majority of his new players.

Blues suffered an embarrassing 6-1 defeat at Hull last time out but the players will surely have a fresh start under their new boss.

For Cotterill, the two-week break is about identifying one key thing.

“I'm trying to find out a starting eleven, because I think that has chopped and changed a fair bit. So I'll be trying to get the starting eleven for the game against Cardiff,” he told the club's media.

Although, the ex-Bristol City manager admitted it may take a while to find the perfect balance.

“I may be wrong in the first team I select, because we've got a lot more competition for places this season.”

Given the situation Birmingham find themselves in, the new man will be hoping he finds the right formula as soon as possible.

After playing the league leaders Cardiff, they face a trip to Millwall before a massive local derby against Aston Villa in which Cotterill could make himself an instant hero.

The Verdict

There was a huge turnover of players at St. Andrew's over the summer, therefore it's inevitably going to take a while to find the right team.

Additionally, Blues haven't been helped by injuries to key men such as David Stockdale, Che Adams and Jota.

Cotterill now has just under two weeks to assess most of his players, who will be desperate to prove to him that they deserve a place in the XI for Cardiff.

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