Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish is expecting a big performance from in-form Mauro Zarate ahead of today's derby against Aston Villa.

McLeish said: "As an Argentinian who has played in Buenos Aries in front of some fervent fans, Mauro would probably relish this game.

"He may be inexperienced but he has all the ingredients of talent, bottle and belief.

"In terms of exciting players a lot of managers would always look for a player who could make a difference and they are very rare.

"It's very difficult to find them. At Rangers I had Russell Latapy, a Trinidad and Tobago player, who was a sublime footballer. He made a big difference.

"I love to see talented players but I have got to think of the whole picture and other players who may be more experienced for any given game."