Preview: Huddersfield Town vs. Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest will renew their search for an increasingly elusive victory when they travel to the John Smith's Stadium to take on Huddersfield Town this weekend.

Stuart Pearce's side made a flying start to the season and led the way early on, but a poor run of seven matches without a victory has seen them slide down the Championship table and out of the top six.

It is a descent that has come as something of a surprise, with the Forest of recent weeks looking barely recognisable as the free-scoring side of the opening stages.

Their first defeat of the campaign didn't come until midway through last month, but they have now been beaten twice in the league this season having fallen to a 3-1 home loss at the hands of Blackburn Rovers last time out.

No side has drawn more games than Forest in the Championship this season, and Pearce will be hoping that the loan addition of Thomas Ince will help his side turn those draws into victories.

Ince could be thrust straight into the starting lineup this weekend, and Pearce has no other new injury concerns, with Chris Cohen, Andy Reid and Jack Hobbs long-term absentees.

Not many would have predicted a month or two ago that Huddersfield would be the form team coming into this match, but Chris Powell has found his feet at the club following a shaky start to his tenure.

The Terriers have now gone six matches without defeat, winning three and drawing three in that time to lift themselves up to 17th in the table.

Last weekend's 2-2 draw with Ipswich Town would have almost felt like a victory too, with Nahki Wells scoring twice in the final 20 minutes to overturn a two-goal deficit and rescue a point.

Wells was partnered up front by Wigan Athletic loanee Grant Holt in that match, and the same duo are expected to lead the line this Saturday in the continued absence of James Vaughan.

Perhaps the most pleasing thing about Huddersfield's turnaround in form will be their improvement in front of their own fans. Victory or a draw this weekend would extend their unbeaten streak to five matches at home, following a run of 10 games without a win at the John Smith's Stadium.

These two sides have actually met here once already this season, with Forest emerging 2-0 victors in the second round of the League Cup back in August.

Recent form

Huddersfield: DDWDWW

Nottm Forest: LDLDDD

Possible starting lineups

Huddersfield: Smithies; Peltier, Hudson, Lynch; Smith, Coady, Hogg, Dixon, Butterfield; Holt, Wells

Nottm Forest: Darlow; Hunt, Mancienne, Wilson, Harding; Burke, Ince, Vaughan, Antonio; Assombalonga, Fryatt

Sports Mole says: 2-3