A DOUBLE fitness race began today in a bid to get Wanderers' key men Nathan Blake and Gudni Bergsson fit for their next match at Birmingham.

Striker Blake has been pulled out of the Wales squad to meet Holland on Saturday while Bergsson's chances of leading Iceland against the Republic of Ireland 24 hours later are rated extremely doubtful.

And with Colin Todd already forced to prepare for the St Andrews clash a week tonight without the suspended Keith Branagan and Alan Thompson, the manager will be desperate to see Blake and Bergsson win their fitness battles. Club and national team captain Bergsson missed Saturday's victory over Huddersfield Town with a groin injury which appears to be clearing up too slowly for Sunday's World Cup qualifying match in Ireland.

Todd says it is too early to say whether he will be fit to line up against Birmingham - and the same goes for Blake who the manager admits surprised him in being fit to face Huddersfield.

"Nathan missed the previous game against Reading with an ankle problem and I didn't expect him to play on Saturday," said Todd.

"He made it and we got away with it. He performed well but he took a knock on the ankle and had to come off."

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