Steve Bruce is aiming to solve a potential defensive crisis by inviting Lucien Mettomo to St Andrew's on trial later this week.
The Cameroon international is due to arrive in Birmingham later today with a view to a permanent £300,000 deal
Mettomo, who spent a two seasons at Manchester City, his final game for the club was an FA Cup tie against Liverpool in January 2003, has fallen out of favour with Kaiserslautern, the side rooted to the bottom of the Bundesliga.
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Bruce is prepared to give a trail to Mettomo and may then offer him a loan deal with the carrot of a permanent contract if he impresses.
The defender's arrival could be timely with all three of Birmingham's centre-halves potentially out of action at Reading on Saturday.
Matthew Upson is suspended for the FA Cup tie whilst Kenny Cunningham (groin) and Martin Taylor (leg) could both be missing with injury.
Meanwhile, Peter Lovenkrands is still a target for Birmingham despite Mikael Forssell's apparent return to fitness.
The 25-year-old Rangers striker, who has scored 15 times for the Glasgow giants this season, is out of contract in the summer and Birmingham are hoping to tempt him out of Ibrox six months early.
The lure of Champions League football may yet keep Lovenkrands at Ibrox for the remainder of the campaign, but Bruce will use his renowned powers of persuasion to tempt the Denmark international over the border.
A fee in the region of £500,000 would be expected to be sufficient to land his services.
