McLeish to fill Muamba gap

Alex McLeish has assured Birmingham fans he will replace Fabrice Muamba before the start of the new season.

Blues yesterday accepted a £5million offer from Bolton for the talented 20-year-old and McLeish must now begin the search for a foil for the more combative Lee Carsley.

McLeish has been linked with the likes of Tottenham utility man Teemu Tainio, Valenica's David Albelda and Portsmouth's Sean Davis and will look to get his recruitment drive underway on his return from a family holiday.

"I spoke with Fabrice and we agreed it was a good move for him and good for Birmingham City," McLeish told the club's official website.

"But in losing Fab I now have to make sure I can get the midfield as strong as I can.

"It's important to replace him with someone I think can enhance the team.

"We're a very lean as a squad in terms of numbers and I would hope by the start of the season we'll be a little bit stronger on that front.

"We'd also like to exploit the loan market, which can be an effective way of adding quality players to the squad."