Zola should give these 3 Birmingham players a chance against Newcastle

Stephen Gleeson

Zola could call for experience against a talented Newcastle side on Saturday, which could see midfielder Stephen Gleeson return to the starting line-up.

The Republic of Ireland international has started 18 of their 25 Championship matches this season, but was an unused substitute in their most recent game against Brentford on Monday.

However, the 28-year-old has played over 100 times for the Blues since moving there in 2014, and they may need his experience and guile in the middle of the park to thwart an attack-minded Newcastle team.

Birmingham, and Zola in particular, could really do with a result on Saturday, so turning to experienced pros like Gleeson would potentially be a good option.