Dale Stephens has been backed to make a difference to Albion’s fight for Championship survival by team-mate Rohan Ince.

Stephens is creeping closer to a return to the starting line-up after ten months out with ankle ligament and nerve damage.

He made his comeback in the closing stages at Cardiff last week and played the last 18 minutes of Saturday’s draw at Sheffield Wednesday.

Fellow midfielder Ince told The Argus: “It’s good to have Dale back. He’s a great player. At the end of last season he was playing very well for us.

“We had a lot of wins when he was playing. He is a big part of the squad and it’s good to have him back in.

“He’s looked sharp in training and he’s going to be featuring more I should imagine.

“He can get about, he’s got a lot of quality on the ball.

“He can turn and play forward quickly. That’s good for us, as we like to counter quick. He’ll be good for that.”

Stephens helped Albion reach the Championship play-offs last season with point-earning goals against Blackburn and Blackpool following a £600,000 January move from Charlton.

Birmingham’s visit on Saturday will be the first time he has been in the squad for a home game since suffering the injury against Yeovil at the Amex last April.

The match against Birmingham, who are at Middlesbrough tonight, also marks Inigo Calderon’s 200th appearance for the club.