English side Wigan have moved to bolster their squad this week with the Latics set to seal the signing of Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingson after having a medical at the club last night.

Having let third-choice keeper Carlo Nash join Everton on transfer-deadline day, Bruce turned to Kingson, who was a free agent after being released by Birmingham.

Bruce signed the 30-year-old Ghana international last summer while still Birmingham boss, and although he made just three appearances for the Blues, Bruce remains a big admirer.

"He was always in the back of my mind when we let Carlo Nash go to Everton," he said.

"Carlo was a bit frustrated with the number of games he got, and with the outstanding contribution of Chris Kirkland and Mike Pollitt behind him, Carlo decided to try his luck elsewhere.

"So we're delighted to have brought in Richard on a two-year deal and he'll be a good acquisition for us."

Bruce will assess the condition of his international contingent once they have all returned to the club before deciding his starting line-up to face the Wearsiders.

"I always think there's going to be a lull in the game [after the international break] because if you fly from South America even without playing a game, it's difficult to recover in 24-48 hours," he said.

"Some of them will only be back in for training on Friday so I'll have to take that into consideration when I'm picking the team."