Blues will go down on Sunday if either Reading or Fulham win against Derby and Portsmouth respectively - irrespective of the outcome against Blackburn at St Andrews.

But James McFadden and Stephen Kelly have already vowed to stay and Sullivan is anticipating many of the leading players will remain for next season.

Sullivan, writing in his programme notes for Sunday's game, said: "If it does not work out and we are relegated, I want to assure you here and now that we expect it to be a very short return to the Championship.

"The Board will be doing all in their power to put a better team out on the pitch next season and bounce back straight away.

"There will be no mass exodus of our top players if we go down. And, if we do stay up, we expect to be much higher up in the table next year.

"The summer period will give Alex McLeish the opportunity to put together his own squad.

"I am extremely confident that he has a good eye for a player and we will back him as much as we possibly can."