BIRMINGHAM boss Steve Bruce wants to sign Rovers defender Martin Taylor.

The Blues chief has made two separate enquiries for the former England Under 21 international in the last seven days.

But so far Bruce has been rebuffed in his attempts to add Taylor to the growing contingent of former Blackburn players at St Andrew's.

Bruce is on the look-out for defensive cover after England international Matthew Upson picked up an ankle injury against Rovers last week.

He spoke to Souness immediately after the game about the possibility of making an offer for Taylor but was told that the 24-year-old was not for sale.

Bruce then tested the water again this week with a second enquiry but was given the same answer by Souness.

The Rovers boss is desperate for funds to help him in the January transfer window and he could have financed possible deals for Muzzy Izzet and Chris Sutton by sanctioning City's move for Taylor, which could have netted Rovers around £3 million.

However, there's no way Souness can afford to off-load a defender in the current climate as he is currently down to the bare bones in that department.

Craig Short is likely to be missing for the next two weeks after tweaking a hamstring against Wolves on Wednesday, which rules him out of tomorrow's game against Bolton plus the trip to Manchester City on Saturday week.

And Andy Todd is also struggling to be fit to face Wanderers after picking up a calf strain in training.

Even if he does pass a fitness test tomorrow, Todd will still miss the City game anyway after picking up a one-match ban for reaching five bookings.

On top of that, Vratislav Gresko is also facing a one-match ban which will keep him out of the Chelsea game on January 31.

And Jay McEveley will be sidelined for up to 12 weeks after dislocating his kneecap during a loan spell with Burnley.

The one piece of good news from the treatment room is that Lorenzo Amoruso should be fit to return at the end of the month following three months out with a knee injury.

But in the meantime, Souness can't afford to let someone like Taylor go, even though the former Academy starlet has been a peripheral figure until recently.

"Birmingham asked Graeme about him after the game last Saturday and subsequently again but they've been told he's not for sale at the moment," said Rovers' chief executive John Williams today.

Meanwhile, Souness is also facing a midfield crisis as he prepares his squad for tomorrow's North West derby with Bolton.

Rovers are already missing long-term injury victims Barry Ferguson and David Thompson but Steven Reid also appears to have lost his battle to recover from a hamstring injury.

On top of that, skipper Garry Flitcroft also sits out the game due to a one match ban which was accrued as a result of five bookings.

That means Souness is left with just two senior central midfield players in Tugay and Dino Baggio.

The only time those two have started a game together before was the 3-1 UEFA Cup defeat against Genclerbirligi when the Rovers midfield was virtually non-existent.

Souness may therefore decide he needs more steel in the centre of the park for a derby fixture which is always keenly fought.

That could see Todd being pressed into service as an emergency midfielder if he wins his fitness battle, a role he fulfilled on a number of occasions last season.

Souness also has the option of drafting Neil Danns into his plans, although it's asking a lot of the reserve team player to step straight into the first team after a month of inactivity.

Rovers are likely to choose from: Friedel, Babbel, Gresko, Taylor, Todd, Johansson, Tugay, Baggio, Emerton, Neill, Cole, Gallagher, Yorke, Jansen, Mahon, Danns, Enckelman.