Birmingham bring back former manager in desperate bid to avoid relegation after Tony Mowbray was forced to step away

GARY ROWETT is set to return to Birmingham as interim manager until the end of the season.

The 50-year-old previously spent two years in charge at St Andrew’s between 2014 and 2016.

PA:Empics Sport

Gary Rowett is set to return to Birmingham as interim manager[/caption]

Rex

The Blues are winless since Tony Mowbray stepped away for medical treatment in February[/caption]

He will take over from Mark Venus, who has been at the helm since Tony Mowbray stepped away to undergo medical treatment in February.

The club confirmed Mowbray’s absence would be for six to eight weeks.

Rowett is now set to take charge for the rest of the campaign in a bid to beat the drop.

According to talkSPORT, his return is imminent and his first game back will be the Good Friday trip to QPR on March 29.

Birmingham have not won any of their six matches since Mowbray stepped away, picking up just a single point under Venus.

Their poor run of results leaves the Blues 21st in the Championship and only above the drop zone on goal difference.

Rowett will have eight matches to avoid relegation to the third tier for the first time since 1994.

The former Millwall boss has been out of management since leaving The Den in October.

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He previously spent two years as Birmingham boss, guiding the club to back-to-back 10th place finishes in the Championship.

However, he was sacked in December 2016 with the Blues seventh in the table.

Rowett has also had spells in charge of Derby and Stoke since leaving Birmingham over seven years ago.