Hyder Jawad looks forward to an abundance of talent on display when Blues host Albion on Saturday...
Teams involved in relegation battles are usually in the lower regions of the table because they lack the quality players to be anywhere else - but that is different where Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion are concerned.
There is no doubt that injury problems have made these two teams look worse than they really are - Bryan Robson, the Albion manager, suggested as much this week - but the reality is that they are effectively fighting it out for 17th position in the Premiership.
Fact: one of these clubs will be playing in the Coca-Cola Championship next season.
They meet at St Andrew's on Saturday and, while nothing will be decided then, it is clear that three points will provide momentum for one of the teams. A draw would probably serve Albion better.
Whatever, predictions are impossible to make because there are so many sub-plots to the main feature. Interest-ingly for such a match, there will be an abundance of talent on show, suggesting that both are too good to be relegated.
For Albion, Curtis Davies, the centre back, has emerged as the man most likely to make the step-up into the England squad - eventually. For Birmingham, David Dunn, the winger, is a man who can unlock even the tightest of defences - as long as he remains fit.
Emile Heskey is capable of returning to international standard but his form has been erratic, particularly for Birmingham away to Middlesbrough last Saturday. Steve Bruce, the Birmingham manager, cannot understand why.
Heskey may play up front alone against Albion and will face a defensive partnership of Davies and Neil Clement.
The Albion defenders have been a paradox this season. They have largely played well and, in Davies and Clement, have a partnership better than most. Why, then, do Albion make so many defensive errors? It is an issue that is causing Robson sleepless nights.
"The lapses concern me," Robson said. On Saturday, against Chelsea, we had good possession in midfield and gave the ball away. Then we could have defended better for another of their goals. Then you think, we're playing well yet we're losing because of lapses.
"I think back to when we played Middlesbrough. We gave away a goal but we played them off the park. We have to cut that out. It could have worked the other way against Chelsea because we had chances to score. Then we might have had the belief that we could have defeated Chelsea.
"That is why we were disappointed. We spoke about the goals we conceded, but we played well against a very good team."
But Davies and Clement are likely to be among the first on Robson's team sheet, which suggests that he is happy with their overall contributions. But Birmingham, with their high-tempo game, can take advantage of any such lapses - as long as Dunn and Jermaine Pennant see a lot of the ball.
Whatever happens, Davies is likely to emerge as the classiest figure. When observers compare him to Rio Ferdinand, he should not take it as a compliment. I would rather have him in the team than Ferdinand, who is over-rated, over paid, and over-exposed. Hard to believe that Davies is still only 20.
"As long as Curtis keeps his feet on the ground, he is going to be okay," Robson said. "He wants to improve. He is playing against the best players in the country at the moment. He is only 20 so, as far as I am concerned, if he keeps working on it and gets more experience, in another couple of years he will be a very good player.
"I think he has got the character to cope with all the attention. He is a level-headed lad.
"He will hopefully prove what a player he can be. And, of course, playing alongside Neil Clement and Steve Watson will help him."
Dunn also needs help, but of a different nature. An individual, he does not lack confidence or panache. What he does lack is the body to complete an entire Premiership season.
At his best, he is of international quality, and would sure be in the England squad for the World Cup this summer. But he is rarely given the chance to be at his best because he frequently picks up injuries.
"If you look at the statistics they show that Birmingham have played better when David Dunn has been in the side and firing on all cylinders," Bruce said.
"Cast your mind back to his first half season here when he was fit and we were in the top five or six up until around Christmas time when he got injured.
"Since then Dunny has had an horrendous time with injuries and completed only a handful of 90 minutes in the past two years.
"He has come back from his back problem but has picked up other injury niggles which happen when you have been out of action for so long.
"But he is a very special player when he is fit and he has shown glimpses of it this season when available. Now we hope he can stay fit for the rest of the season.
"I think it is going to be vital to us that Dunny stays fit for the remainder of the season. He can make a big difference."
However, Bruce substituted Dunn when Birmingham lost at Middlesbrough last Saturday, a move that did not meet with approval among the supporters. Bruce, however, wants Dunn fit for the remainder of the season, not just for individual matches.
"That was the first time has start a game for a month since his calf injury," Bruce said. "He has not played a lot of football during the past couple of years and you have to be careful.
"You have to make sure you don't push them too much otherwise they could break down again. That's what happened with Muzzy Izzet when he came back from his calf problem against Sunderland and he will be out for around three weeks in total.
"Players need time to get back into things when they have only had six weeks off in the summer from the day to day routine so imagine what is like when you've been out for a lot longer."
In terms of squad strength, Birmingham would be superior to Albion, but when are all of Bruce's players fit at the same time?
Albion have had their own injury problems but, generally, seemed to have coped better. There will be nothing between the teams on Saturday. It will probably boil down to one error or one slice of inspiration.
