De la Cruz could play at the back or in midfield for McLeish's Blues

Birmingham City have given veteran defender Ulises de la Cruz a one-month contract after he impressed on trial.

The Ecuador international was released by Reading last summer, and has been training with Alex McLeish's squad for several weeks.

De la Cruz, 35, has been capped 98 times for his country, and has had spells in British football with Hibernian, Aston Villa and Reading.

Blues hope to have him cleared to play in Wednesday's game with Bristol City.

De la Cruz is the third player to agree a short-term contract at St Andrew's in the last couple of weeks, joining former Tottenham and Newcastle full-back Stephen Carr and ex-Liverpool and Portsmouth defender Djimi Traore.

The Birmingham squad is also liberally sprinkled with loan signings after agreeing deals in recent months for midfielders Scott Sinclair, Hameur Bouazza and Lee Bowyer and striker Carlos Costly.

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