Birmingham boss Alex McLeish says new signing Michel will be given time to settle into life at St Andrews. The 24-year-old midfielder completed his £3million move from Sporting Gijon on Monday, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Blues.

"Sometimes it's not easy for a player, especially coming from a foreign country, to come in and hit the ground running," he said.

"He'll need time to get to know his team-mates and see the sort of demands we ask from players in training.

"We can also see if we can add a wee bit to his game and improve him all round as a player.

"But the bonus is that, because we're doing so well, he has got additional time to settle."