If Steve Bruce's recent misfortune has led him to suspect he's run over a black cat, then Nicky Butt must have reversed back over the unfortunate feline, scooped up the corpse and curried it for good measure.
Butt, currently a third of the way through a threematch suspension for his red card in last weekend's draw with Portsmouth, yesterday pleaded guilty to a further charge of using abusive and/ or insulting words towards a match official following that dismissal at Fratton Park.
To make matters worse, the allegation carries a standard two-game ban which would put him out of the Birmingham derby with Aston Villa on October 15.
It is just the latest episode in a nightmare 18 months in which the midfielder has left his beloved Manchester United, failed to find the form that persuaded his new club, Newcastle United, to pay £2.5 million for him in the first place, fallen out with their fans and had his latest attempt and rejuvenation derailed by poor discipline.
As things stand, the England international is already out of Saturday's visit from Liverpool and the following weekend's trip to Arsenal - two matches in which Birmingham can ill afford to be without the influential linchpin - after he was sent off by Dermot Gallagher for kicking out at Pompey striker Dario Silva.
But this additional charge, brought in connection with a contretemps he had with a referee's assistant, could take the suspension to five games for a single moment of madness.
Butt has requested a personal hearing when the Football Association disciplinary commission reviews the case next Tuesday, where he is likely to tell the panel of the provocation to which he believes he was subjected and also attempt to plead for clemency.
If an extra two-game ban is imposed following his admission of the offence, Butt will sit out the game with Blackburn Rovers, as well as the Villa match, compounding manager Steve Bruce's problems at the heart of his midfield.
Bruce has just one central midfielder, Damien Johnson, fit for Saturday's appointment with the European champions following Muzzy Izzet's withdrawal in the 2-0 Carling Cup win over Scunthorpe.
The former Leicester man came off with an Achilles problem and faces another spell on the sidelines just a matter of weeks after coming back from a serious knee injury.
Bruce fielded three first-team debutants as substitutes against Scunthorpe in an otherwise-strong line-up hampered by injury problems. Former Arsenal trainee Neil Kilkenny could make his first Premiership appearance against Liverpool, having ably replaced Izzet after less than half-an-hour of the cup tie.
Bruce said: "He did okay on his debut when he had to come on as a substitute. The kid has got real ability, you can see that.
"We're pleased that we've had a couple of youngsters come on. Marcos Painter has come on leaps and bounds and it was nice to see him out there, too."
Blues also gave a debut to Peter Till, a teenage striker, who came on for Jermaine Pennant with four minutes to go.
Meanwhile, Bruce is rumoured to be on the trail of Brann star Paul Scharner, an Austrian utility player who can operate in midfield or defence, after noticing him on a scouting trip to Norway.
"I believe they want me," Scharner said.
