Birmingham City and Nottingham Forest will both be determined to kick on from victories at the weekend in their clash at St Andrew's.
The Blues defeated Bristol City 4-2, while Forest came from behind to beat Queens Park Rangers 2-1 at Loftus Road.
Birmingham
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The Blues have enjoyed an excellent start to the Championship season, having taken 11 points from their opening five matches to leave them fourth in the table.
Gary Rowett's men are yet to taste defeat in the campaign after winning three of their first five games, including their 4-2 triumph over Bristol City.
Clayton Donaldson netted a hat-trick, notching his first three goals of the campaign, while Jonathan Grounds ensured the win with a 77th-minute strike at St Andrew's to fire Rowett's men to their second win on the spin in the league, and third in all competitions.
Birmingham have shown a strong prowess in front of goal this season by scoring in each of their seven matches, finding the net twice in six of their games. The strikes have been shared around the team as well, as only Jon Toral and Stephen Gleeson have netted in separate matches.
Rowett will be concerned by his side's struggles at the other end of the pitch as they have only kept one clean sheet in the Championship, which could derail a promotion bid if it becomes a trend for the Blues this season.
The club's home form has been solid this season as they have taken seven of their 11 points at St Andrew's, and Rowett will be hopeful that his side can use their displays in front of their own supporters as a foundation for a push towards promotion.
Recent form: WDDWW
Recent form (all competitions): WDDWWW
Nottingham Forest
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Forest looked to be sliding towards to a defeat against QPR until Rob Green brought down Chris O'Grady in the box and was sent off. Henri Lansbury dispatched the resulting penalty and the visitors showed a killer instinct to take all three points when Nelson Oliveira found the net.
The win will have delighted Dougie Freedman as his side battled back from a losing position to take the victory from arguably one of the strongest teams in the Championship on their own turf. The Scot will be looking to use the result as motivation to jolt his team into gear after inconsistent start to the season.
Forest are currently 13th in the Championship, having taken eight points from their opening six matches of the season. The club's other win came against Rotherham United at the City Ground, while they took a point from their clashes against Charlton Athletic and Bolton Wanderers.
Like Birmingham, Freedman's men have kept just one clean sheet in their Championship fixtures this season, which will be a major concern for the 41-year-old. The shutout came against Bolton on August 18, which means the team have gone three matches without keeping a clean sheet.
Scoring goals has been less of an issue for Forest as they have found the net in four of their matches, although the departure of Michail Antonio has been a major blow for their potency in the final third.
However, the team managed to overcome his loss against QPR and Freedman will hope that continues to improve his side's form away from the City Ground, where they have taken four points from a possible nine so far this season.
Recent form: LWDDLW
Recent form (all competitions): LWDDLW
Team News
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Birmingham could be without midfielder Gleeson for the clash as he is struggling with a knock, but Jacques Maghoma and Andy Shinnie are available to replace him in the starting lineup.
David Davis and Nicolai Brock-Madsen could also feature at St Andrew's as Rowett suggested that he could make changes to his side ahead of a busy run of fixtures over the course of the next week.
Defender Michael Mancienne is out of the match for Forest after he sustained a hamstring injury in the win over QPR. Kyle Ebecilio is likely to replace him in the team for the clash against the Blues.
Oliveira could push for a starting berth after notching his first goal for the club in the victory at Loftus Road, while Jamie Ward could also feature.
Birmingham possible starting lineup:
Kuczszak; Caddis, Spector, Morrison, Grounds; Kieftenbeld, Maghoma, Cotterill, Toral; Gray, Donaldson
Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:
De Vries; Lichaj, Ebecilio, Mills, Wilson; Lansbury, Mendes, Vaughan, O'Grady; Pinillos, Walker
Head To Head
Birmingham recorded a 3-1 victory over Forest in their last meeting at the City Ground as David Cotterill found the net and Donaldson notched a brace.
Cotterill also scored in their meeting earlier in the campaign at St Andrew's in a 2-1 victory for the Blues as Paul Caddis's late penalty secured the win for the home side.
Over the course of history, Forest hold the edge in the contest with 39 victories to Birmingham's 38, while 31 of the matches have ended in draws.
We say: Birmingham 3-1 Nottingham Forest
Birmingham have been in excellent form in the Championship so far this season, especially at St Andrew's. Expect their impressive displays to continue in their clash against Freedman's men with a comfortable victory.
Simon Sinclair
