Birmingham's on-loan striker Obafemi Martins has undergone surgery on a stress fracture to his leg which will keep him out for the remainder of the season. The former Newcastle player is on loan at St Andrews from Russian side Rubin Kazan but has not played since mid-March.
Blues chief Alex McLeish said: "Oba has had surgery and it's a blow for him and a blow for us and we wish him a speedy recovery.
"He passed his medical and everything was fine for six weeks but then it became obvious something was not quite right.
"The problem has crept up on him during the past month or so and a stress fracture was diagnosed."
He will remain in the Midlands until the loan spell expires at the end of May, but it remains to be seen whether the move will be made permanent.
