Blues will give Figueroa time

Birmingham City insisted that their new Argentinian striker Luciano Figueroa will be given plenty of time to adjust to the cut-and-thrust of the English Premiership.

The 22-year-old, who was top-scorer in Argentina last season with Rosario Central, has joined the Blues on a five-year deal worth 2.5 million pounds (four million dollars).

The club are awaiting a work permit and he will train with his new team-mates for the first time on Monday, but assistant manager Mark Bowen insists no-one is expecting miracles.

"There's not going to be any pressure on him to show us any immediate form," Bowen told www.bcfc.com.

"He's a young lad who's come from a different continent and he will have to contend with all the problems that that entails.

"It's a case of us taking it softly, softly with him but we know the quality he's got and he wouldn't be in the Argentine national side for a start if he wasn't a very good player."