Birmingham City boss Steve Bruce is ready to pitch Medhi Nafti in to the relegation battle despite the Tunisian midfielder not having played a single first-team game this season.

Nafti suffered a serious knee ligament injury in pre-season training after making his loan move from Racing Santander permanent, but defied doctors' predictions to return to action with the reserves earlier this month.

He has now set his sights on a place in Tunisia's World Cup finals squad and, with the Blues short of midfielders for the crucial games against Newcastle and Bolton, he may get a chance to prove his fitness in the Premiership.

"Nafti has come through the last couple of reserve games in the past few weeks. With all the problems we had with the midfield area, he was ready to step up to the plate," Bruce told the Birmingham Mail.

"He's desperate to go to the World Cup, the kid. He's made the effort, he's put in a huge graft to get fit, it's been absolutely frightening. He's been in morning, noon and night.

"We hope he continues to progress as quick as he has so he goes to Germany. And I've no qualms about using him if I have to in the last couple of games."