Birmingham may yet dent Villa’s Champions League challenge after vice-chairman Peter Pannu hinted that Joe Hart could answer Manchester City’s goalkeeping crisis.

Hart’s parent club City are today expected to attempt to persuade Blues to allow the England international, who is on a season-long loan, to return to Eastlands for their final three games of the campaign.

They head into Saturday’s top-four showdown against Villa with little-known Faroe Islands international Gunnar Nielsen their only available option, after Shay Given dislocated his shoulder against Arsenal at the weekend while understudy Stuart Taylor is also sidelined.

Blues boss Alex McLeish has already stated he would be against Hart returning to Eastlands early, but Pannu has left the door open to an agreement.

He said: “I understand Manchester City’s concerns. I am very sympathetic and, if I was their chief executive Garry Cook, I would already have been on the phone.

“We have a great relationship with City and I will consider the approach favourably because Joe has done a great job.”

City were last night given special dispensation by the Premier League to sign a goalkeeper on emergency loan until the end of the season.

It’s believed the Eastlands club have already contacted Sunderland about taking their third-choice keeper Marton Fulop but in-form Hart, who was this week named in the PFA Premier League team of the year by his fellow professionals, remains their first choice.

It is likely that City would have to pay Blues a one-off fee to end Hart’s loan prematurely, but the St Andrew’s club would hope any co-operation would improve their chances of acquiring Hart’s services again next season.

Hart said: “It’s absolutely nothing to do with me. I’m devastated for Shay. I sent him a text on Saturday night. You don’t want that to happen to anyone, especially someone like him, a great goalkeeper and a really good professional.

“All I can do is wish him a speedy recovery and that he gets back in the sticks again as soon as possible.

“The loan? As far as I know, that’s the way it is, I will be staying here.”

City’s top-four rivals Villa, Tottenham and Liverpool had no comment to make but are monitoring events closely.