The Finnish international netted twice for Blues during their 5-2 win over FC Schweinfurt in Bavaria on Monday to take his pre-season goal tally to four.

Forssell has been dogged by injury problems for the past three seasons and his days at the club appeared numbered.

But he has impressed Bruce in the build-up to the new season and at his best would give the City boss another significant attacking option.

Bruce said: "Everyone knows the contribution Mikael made in that first season here when he was initially on loan from Chelsea and to score 17 Premiership goals was a fantastic achievement.

"It was really the only season in the Premiership where we didn't struggle to score goals and we finished 10th after being in the top six for much of the time.

"We brought in Emile Heskey to partner him at the start of the next season but since then Mikael has had so many setbacks and you have really felt the lad who is a smashing fellow. He has had to be mentally tough.

"But what is really heartening at the moment is how he is performing. I'm a bit wary saying it but he looks something like the Mikael Forssell we know he can be.

"Maybe not rushing him back last year after he had surgery in October, and giving him all the time he needed to recover, has possibly helped.

"I know he's worked tremendously hard with our medical and fitness people so let's hope things start to go for him.

"If they do, and he continues as he has started the pre-season, then we've got a class act on our hands.

"It looks to me as if, for the first time in a long time, he is pain-free. If he isn't, then he is certainly disguising it well."

Forssell looked set to move to Hanover at the end of last season but the move fell through.

Now he can provide competition to newcomers Olivier Kapo and Garry O'Connor plus Cameron Jerome and Gary McSheffrey.

Bruce is expecting the moves of striker Mido and midfielder Hossam Ghaly from Tottenham to be rubber-stamped within the next 24 hours as he praised the work of co-owner David Sullivan and the Blues board for making such moves possible.

And he insisted Sullivan's commitment to the club remained 100% even though Carson Yeung could eventually take full control of the club in the new year.

Bruce said: "It's at a time like this, when we've been pursuing players like Mido and Ghaly and the future is a bit uncertain, that we should thank the work of the board and particular Mr Sullivan.

"With him, we can do what we're doing with Mido and Ghaly. I can pick up the phone and say 'these two are available' and he reacts.

"He makes a decision and gives you an answer. It's quite unique in a football club but it works at this one and it will be a shame not to have that should he decide to sell up.

"Let me tell those fans who thinks he's no longer interested that that isn't true. He's been working extremely hard at all hours to help bring players in to this club despite all the takeover stuff going on in the background, like he has always done.

"Most people who know the club are aware of how it operates and I will miss the way he works it if he does go."