The Blues squad returned to the UK late last night after a successful tour of Austria.

Alex McLeish's squad picked up three useful victories during their ten day trip and the Blues boss saw it as an extremely useful pre-season exercise.

After a day off today (Wednesday), the squad will return to training at Wast Hills on Thursday. 

"It was a good trip," the Blues boss told the Birmingham Mail.

"The results were not the most important things in the grand scheme of it because we are looking for the results when it comes round to competition-time.

"But the wins we had were good from a confidence point of view, and they were against a couple of decent teams.

"They're at the fitness stage, and the good thing about the tour was to integrate the staff as well as you probably wouldn't have got that at home as they all go their own ways after training and are not around one another.

"You can go stir crazy as well when you are away, and the boys were ready to leave by the end, 10 days was enough.

"But facility wise the hotel was excellent, the food, the staff were excellent. There was a slick operation."

McLeish also used the tour to see two triallists in action, but he will not be bringing either of them to the club.

Zola Matumona in action for Blues

DR Congo midfielder Zola Matumona has work permit problems and McLeish does not believe that AS Nancy centre-half Yamoudou Camara is a major improvement on the players he already has.

"The one with Zola, that's unlikely now," he told the Birmingham Mail.

"The work permit is going to be difficult.

"It's a shame because he would have been a skilful addition to the squad."