A very positive run at the defence by Emmanuel Longelo and his curling effort is deflected behind for a corner.

Blues starting to ask a few questions here.

Amad Diallo has had to come off after a collision with Juninho Bacuna. It appears that he may accidentally have been caught in the eye.

He cannot carry on and Patrick Roberts enters the field.

Postpublished at 64 mins

64 mins

Birmingham 0-2 Sunderland

That looks painful.

Krystian Bielik has stayed down after arriving to meet Juninho Bacuna's corner with Sunderland's Corry Evans landing on him.

Remember, Bielik is in the Poland squad for the World Cup, but he'll be able to carry on it seems.

Image source, Getty Images

Goalscorer Amad Diallo is back on after needing a bit of treatment from the physio.

Wouldn't it be nice if he could give us another moment of magic tonight?

Blues boss John Eustace has no option here but to roll the dice.

A triple substitution as George Hall, Lukas Jutkiewicz and Tahith Chong are sent on.

Jobe Bellingham, Hannibal Mejbri and Maxime Colin are the players withdrawn.

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at St Andrew's

Sunderland's fans were halfway through a fine rendition of the Manfred Mann classic 'Do Wah Diddy Diddy Dum Diddy Dum' when Amad Diallo rudely interrupted them by curling in that stunning second goal.

It certainly sent the away end 'Do Wah Diddy Diddy' while striking the Blues fans temporarily dumb.

On that evidence, it is a great shame that Ivory Coast have not qualified for the World Cup.

A memorable goal that will no doubt get discussed by Diallo with his fellow Manchester United loan man Hannibal Mejbri at the final whistle.

Image source, Rex Features

Blues centre-back Auston Trusty makes a big run forward into the box but Juninho Bacuna can't get enough purchase on his effort.

A nervous moment for the Black Cats defence

Postpublished at 53 mins

53 mins

Birmingham 0-2 Sunderland

More problems for Birmingham as top scorer Scott Hogan has taken a whack after being knocked by Jack Clarke.

Blues will need him on the pitch to have any chance of pulling this one back.

Sunderland have started the half positively with Amad Diallo and Jack Clarke enjoying good little bursts down either flank.

Unfortunately neither winger could provide a telling ball at the end of it.

No changes at the break and the players are ready to go.

Birmingham are attacking their Kop in this half, although the impact is lessened by having no fans in the bottom half of it.

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at St Andrew's

Football really is a funny old game.

Birmingham City have created the two clearest chances of the game, yet they trail to a goal scored by a striker who hadn't netted since August.

Also of concern to home boss John Eustace on the statistical front will be on-loan Man United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri's fourth booking in the last 11 games, for his challenge on Jack Clarke.

Eustace admitted he took him off early in the second half after he got booked here against QPR a fortnight ago to stop him getting sent off.

The spirited Tunisian was visibly fired up by Clarke's poor early challenge on Hannibal's Blues team-mate Juninho Bacuna - and he could again be on thin ice here if he is not careful after his own foul on Clarke.

Image source, Getty Images

Sunday lunchtime. Turf Moor. The Championship game of the season to date. And the small matter of an East Lancashire derby!

The first in the league since 2016 as the top two, Burnley and Blackburn Rovers meet. And there is NEVER any love lost when these two sides play each other out.

Vincent Kompany's table-topping Clarets against Jon Dahl Tomasson and his up-and-coming Rovers.

What a way to go into the World Cup break!

While the players receive half-time instructions, it's probably a good time to tell you what's coming up over the weekend in the Championship.

Tomorrow, there are 10 matches, all at 15:00 GMT, with the pick of those probably being Norwich City's home clash with Middlesbrough. Elsewhere third-placed Sheffield United are away at Cardiff City, Watford travel to out-of-form Bristol City and very much in-form Coventry City go in search of a fourth win on the spin against QPR.

At the bottom, Huddersfield Town welcome Swansea City, with the Terriers desperately looking for a win which could take them off the bottom. With a four-week break looming, nobody wants to be looking up at the rest of the division for all that time.

The whistle goes and it is Ellis Simms' goal which separates the sides.

But Troy Deeney and Scott Hogan could and should have scored either side of that for Blues and all three results remain distinct possibilities at the interval.

Image source, Getty Images

We are into three minutes of injury time for that earlier stoppage to Bailey Wright.

Hannibal Mejbri is in the thick of the action.

This time, the midfielder is tripped by Niall Huggins and the Sunderland man has his name taken.

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at St Andrew's

This is not quite going to plan for Birmingham City.

Victory here tonight would put them in the top six, at least temporarily.

But instead it's Sunderland who are suddenly looking the more likely victors.

Michael Gray got the winner the last time the Wearsiders triumphed here in the league at St Andrew's in September 1997.

They have lost six and drawn just two of their eight league visits since.

But Blues may already be ruing both that early Troy Deeney miss and again when Scott Hogan just got clean through - and, while the Sunderland supporters have a seemingly endless stream of songs, the home fans' mood is one of growing frustration.

Scott Hogan should now be the Championship's leading scorer on his own.

Strike partner Troy Deeney finds a defence-splitting pass, but Anthony Patterson makes himself big to deny Hogan a 10th goal of the season.

That should have been 1-1.

Hannibal Mejbri and Bailey Wright clash as Wright runs the ball dead. Already on a booking, Mejbri needs to be very careful.

Known for his short fuse, referee Andy Madley decides the on-loan Manchester United player needs a quiet word in the ear.

Image source, Rex Features