The West Midlands outfit will be making the journey to the north east with 12 senior players ruled out through injury, including midfield maestro Sebastian Larsson and tough-tackling defender Stephen Carr.
McLeish said: 'It's a horrendous injury list and a bit of bad luck but by the end of the week I’m hoping that Larsson is available again and the signs are that he will be.'
With limited resources at his disposal, McLeish looks to turn to teenage sensations Dan Preston and Ashley Sammons alongside veteran Kevin Phillips.
A further ray of light for the Birmingham faithful is that defender Liam Ridgewell looks set to return to the starting XI tonight, after spending the last five months on the sidelines following a double leg-fracture in mid-April.
Steve Bruce's Sunderland squad have also been hit with injuries, as he rallies the Wearsiders to bounce back from a 'Jekyll and Hyde' performance at the weekend against Burnley.
The Black Cats, who have produced a mixed bag of results this season, are without the influential Lee Catermole as the tenacious midfielder battles a heel problem - an injury also keeping Marton Fulop from taking his place between the posts.
Other notable absentees from the squad are David Meyler (ankle) and Jordan Cook (knee), although Bruce can allow himself the luxury of introducing some new faces into the starting eleven, with Daryl Murphy, David Healy and Nyron Nosworthy all pushing for a starting spot.
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