BLUES have been backed to get a result against ‘beatable’ Club Bruges in tomorrow’s Europa League match.

Bruges may have not lost yet in the Belgian league, but Chris Hughton’s side could well cause them significant problems.

Ian Atkins, Blues former promotion-winning coach and captain, has a keen eye on Bruges through his role as Sunderland’s European scout.

And he said: “It will be tough, they are a good side - but Blues are more than capable of getting a result.

“I think Bruges are beatable and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Blues went over there and came back with a victory or draw.

“And with 5,000 fans in the stadium, they’re going to get a huge lift from that alone.”

Bruges have lost captain and former Albion defender Carl Hoefkens to a cruciate ligament injury, sustained in Sunday’s 2-0 win over AA Gent.
He is an influential leader for Bruges, said Atkins.

“Bruges are a fairly young team, they lost a few players in the summer and have been rebuilding.

“They revolve around Hoefkens, he tends to hold them together, using his experience. He’s not got a lot of  pace and you can move him around, but he’s done a very good job for them.

“They are very good technically, they pass the ball well, they’ve got good players in good areas.

“But they don’t score a lot of goals and that’s a reason why Blues could get a result.”