Sunderland must be ready to withstand Birmingham City's physical threat when the Midlanders visit Wearside this weekend, says Tony Mowbray. The Black Cats take on John Eustace's side tomorrow in a game which could see Mowbray's men complete a league double against the Blues after winning 2-1 at St Andrew's in November, in their final fixture before the World Cup break.
Sunderlan sit tenth in the table but still have an outside chance of making the play-offs, with just four points between themselves and the top six. Birmingham are 17th and eight points clear of the relegation zone, which should be a big enough buffer for them to avoid being dragged into the mire given that several teams would have to put together a late-season run of form to catch them.
Birmingham arrive on the back of a four-game unbeaten run which has seen them beat QPR and Blackburn Rovers, and draw their last two outings against Reading and Stoke City. "They'll present a physical challenge, first and foremost," Mowbray said of Birmingham.
