Ex-Birmingham City boss in talks over return ahead of Preston North End and QPR fixtures

Preston North End's upcoming opponents, Birmingham City, are reportedly in talks to appoint former manager, Gary Rowett, on an interim basis.

Blues boss, Tony Mowbray, temporarily stepped away from his role in mid-February after requiring medical treatment. Since then, the St Andrew's side have picked up one point from six games and slid into relegation trouble. Birmingham are 21st in the Championship table, level on points with 22nd placed Huddersfield Town.

Rowett, 50, left his post at Millwall in mid-October - just a few days ahead of the Lions' trip to Deepdale. He has been out of work since leaving The Den, where Rowett spent four years in the hot seat. But, reports in the national media now suggest that Birmingham will bring their old manager back for the final eight games of the season.

The Blues' first game back after the international break is Queens Park Rangers away, before Preston North End head to the Midlands on Monday, April 1. Rowett steered Birmingham to safety in the 2014/15 season, but was then sacked by new owners in December 2016 - when the Blues sat seventh in the table. He went on to manage Derby County, Stoke City and then Millwall.

Should the move happen, Rowett would become Birmingham's fourth manager of the season. The club's new, American owners controversially dismissed John Eustace in October and replaced him with Wayne Rooney - who lasted three months. Prior to his absence, the Blues had picked up 10 points from a possible 18 under Mowbray.