Tebs or Pursey?

Last updated : 11 August 2003 By Brian Cartlidge
Purse has been the automatic choice in recent games when either Cunningham or Matthew Upson have been unavailable for selection but on Saturday, in Blues' final warm-up game of the close season against Real Mallorca, Steve Bruce opted to play Tebily alongside Cunningham in the Blues back-four.

Bruce says he already knows his starting eleven for the opening day fixture against Spurs on Saturday lunchtime and after this weekends team selection the Ivory coast international could be favourite to partner Cunningham with Upson serving a one-game suspension for his sending-off at Newcastle at the end of last season.