Given injury hits Blues' Hart hopes

Alex McLeish admits Shay Given's injury will probably end Birmingham's hopes of re-signing Joe Hart on loan from Manchester City next season. Given could miss the start of next season with the setback suffered against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last weekend.Hart has been in outstanding form for Blues during his season at St Andrews and was named in the PFA Premier League team of the year.McLeish would like to keep the England player for another 12 months but accepts those hopes have receded with Given's injury.The former Scotland boss said: "I would think that if Given is out for a few months, Joe Hart would be Manchester City's goalkeeper in August."McLeish admits Birmingham have already been making plans in case Hart was not able to return.He said: "We have been looking for some time at the possibilities if Joe was to leave us."He has been superb for us and saved and won us many points and has been outstanding this season."Birmingham's current number two is Northern Ireland international Maik Taylor and McLeish has already intimated he will be offered a new contract.But that will not stop him looking for another quality keeper as Blues look to build on a successful first season back in the Premier League.

Source: Team_Talk