Birmingham face Middlesbrough in the Sky Bet Championship on Friday, live on Sky Sports Football.
Team news
Birmingham welcome Marc Roberts and Jacques Maghoma back into their squad. Defender Roberts missed the midweek defeat at Wigan with a tight hamstring, while winger Maghoma was rested as he struggles with a niggling calf problem.
Boss Pep Clotet has confirmed the duo are in contention, saying: "Marc and Jacques are good, no problem." Recent signing Josh McEachran is also "getting closer" to being involved, with another U23 run-out pencilled in for Friday.
Middlesbrough will assess the fitness of returning midfielder Jonny Howson ahead of the trip. Tuesday's 1-1 draw at home to Preston was Howson's first game in three weeks following hernia surgery and boss Jonathan Woodgate will be keen to ease him back gently.
Howson was one of four changes to Boro's starting line-up in midweek, with Marcus Tavernier, Marcus Browne and Daniel Ayala also coming in. They impressed and will hope to keep their starting spots, although Woodgate has indicated a change in approach. "You can't always be nice and pretty," he said. "Sometimes you have to grind it out, graft and do the nasty things of the game and we'll be doing that on Friday."
Recent form
Neither side comes into this game in the best of form. Birmingham have 13 points so far this season, three more than Middlesbrough, but have lost three games on the spin. They have been beaten by Wigan, Derby and Preston in a row, heading into this clash at St Andrew's.
Middlesbrough are also without a win in three, but did at least pick up a point at home to Preston in midweek to end a run of two straight defeats, including a 4-1 thumping at home to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. They start the weekend 20th in the table.
What the managers said...
Pep Clotet: "I put myself under increasing pressure to win because I think we have the ability in this club to not only bounce back - but to turn results. I don't feel any kind of pressure from the club or any part of it - we are all very aware where we come from, all the work we had to put in the summer, how the situation was.
"We are focused on the fact that still the team managed to do the best start in 11 years, we are four points off the play-offs, we have more points than last season. I think it is a moment where we all need to sit down, calm down and focus a lot on trying to get the result against Middlesbrough."
Jonathan Woodgate: "It's not how you start the season it's how you finish. I think that's the most important thing. I was chatting to Alex (Neil) after the Preston game and he said last year they had five points after 10 games.
"It's important you ride it out, you stay together as a club and the fans stay together, they stay patient, I know it's difficult for them, but that's what you need."
Talking point: The Boro boy in Teesside's top job
Woodgate was at Real Madrid, won England caps and played in the Champions League, but nothing in his career has so far felt better for him than leading out his hometown club as a manager.
The former defender took charge at the club in the summer following the departure of Tony Pulis, whom he had previously served under as a coach for 18 months. Born and raised in the Boro, he understands the importance of the club to the town.
"Just getting the job in the first place made me immensely proud," Woodgate told Sky Bet. "To be the manager of my hometown club, who I have supported since I was six, it is a massive achievement for me."
Latest highlights
Opta stats
- Birmingham have lost their last four league matches against Middlesbrough, losing both matches in each of the previous two seasons.
- Middlesbrough are unbeaten in each of their last 10 league games against Birmingham (W6 D4 L0) since a 1-0 defeat in March 2013.
- Birmingham have lost one of their last nine home league games played on a Friday (W3 D5 L1), a 3-1 defeat to Leeds in March 2017.
- Middlesbrough have won 15 of their last 19 matches in all competitions played on Fridays (W15 D3 L1).
- Middlesbrough striker Britt Assombalonga has netted six league goals against Birmingham, including four goals in four games since he joined Boro - against no other side has he netted more.
- Lukas Jutkiewicz has scored exactly one goal in five of his last six home games for Birmingham in the Championship, but did fail to do so in his last such appearance against Preston.
Prutton's prediction
Birmingham are having such an inconsistent campaign. At moments they have looked excellent and like they could have a push for the top six, and other times they seem like they could easily slip towards the relegation zone.
Middlesbrough fans will want to give Jonathan Woodgate time to get things right because of his connections with the club, but 20th at this stage is not good enough for them. I think the Blues will nick this one.
David Prutton predicts: 1-0 (11/2 with Sky Bet)