THE tranquil Belgian city of Bruges is being turned into a “mini Birmingham” by thousands of Bluenoses descending on the region for the big Europa League clash.

Chris Hughton’s boys will be greeted by a rousing chorus of Blues’ anthem Keep Right On from the 5,000 fans inside the 30,000 capacity Jan Breydel stadium for tonight’s clash against local heroes Club Brugge.

But thousands more are expected to flock to the medieval city to sample the atmosphere in bars around its historic centre – even though police in Belgium and club officials have pledged that no tickets will be available at the stadium.

West Midlands Police has warned its Belgian counterparts to expect up to 10,000 Blues supporters in the city by kick-off time.

Fans have used a variety of means to journey to the game. The first wave of travelling Bluenoses began arriving yesterday, but most are expected to reach the picturesque city late this morning.

Besides official club travel arrangements, thousands are expected to journey to Belgium over land and sea via ferry to Ostend, just a short drive from Bruges.