TREVOR Francis fears his Birmingham boys are starting to look mentally drained as the promotion race reaches its climax. And he reckons the glorious run to the Worthington Cup Final is to blame.

Blues' players peaked during their dramatic duel with Liverpool at the Millennium Stadium and Francis accepts that to maintain those standards for the rest of the season has been tough - especially as the side has been decimated by injury problems.

He reckons: "It has been a really tough schedule and the players have looked mentally tired in recent games.

"They need to freshen their minds and that is why some of them have had a rest. The cup run has made this season totally different. First Division clubs are not supposed to get to cup finals. That is what Premiership clubs do with their big squads and with players who are used to big games.

"Our players are not accustomed to such high profile games which can be very stressful. They handled the cup run superbly, but it has meant that the rest of the season has been a whole new challenge for them.

"After the cup final, they kept going superbly well and followed up with three straight wins. But then the injuries started to crop up and momentum has been lost."

Strikers Dele Adebole and Paul Furlong, right-back Peter Atherton and winger Jon McCarthy have all been struggling with hamstring injuries, left-back Martin Grainger has had thigh trouble and Martin O'Connor and Danny Sonner have been sidelined with Achilles problems.

But central defender Darren Purse and midfielder Jamie Pollock are both due to return from suspension for Good Friday's Reebok clash.