Preview: Blackburn Rovers vs. Birmingham City - prediction, team news, lineups

A win could take Rovers to the top of the second-tier standings, whereas Birmingham could close the gap to the playoffs to a single point with a win on the road this weekend.

Match preview

Blackburn will be hoping they have left the inconsistency that has plagued their start to the season behind them after back-to-back wins against Middlesbrough and most recently Sunderland on Tuesday night.

Goals either side of the break from Ben Brereton Diaz and Scott Wharton were enough to kill off the Black Cats at Ewood Park, a result that sees them inside the automatic promotion spots in the Championship table ahead of the visit of Birmingham

Jon Dahl Tomasson's side are remarkably yet to draw this season, being the only team in the division to avoid a share of the spoils in any of their fixtures.

This all-or-nothing nature means they have the most wins in the league with nine, but have also suffered two more losses than the likes of West Bromwich Albion and Huddersfield Town who both occupy relegation spots after a third of the season.

Birmingham City continued their good run of form as a late Scott Hogan goal earned a 1-1 draw with recently-relegated Burnley at St Andrew's on Wednesday night.

Blues had to weather some serious claret and blue storms in the first period especially but managed to limit Vincent Kompany's side to only a single shot on target over the course of the 90 minutes.

One defeat in the last eight is an impressive run for John Eustace's side and highlights how the ex-Queens Park Rangers assistant coach has made the Second City side hard to beat and defensively solid.

Recent trips to Ewood Park have not been enjoyable for Blues, who have lost both of the last two visits by a combined score of 9-2, but the Birmingham side that travels up to Lancashire on Saturday will be a different proposition to those teams that were sentenced to such emphatic defeats.

Blackburn Rovers Championship form:

W

L

W

L

W

W

Birmingham City Championship form:

D

D

L

W

W

D

Team News

Blackburn will welcome back Lewis Travis to the matchday squad after he served his one-match suspension for collecting five yellow cards in the victory against Sunderland.

Nineteen-year-old Jake Garrett filled Travis's shoes admirably on his senior debut in the midweek success but is likely to drop out to make way for the returning Travis, who has started all 14 league games he has been available for.

Left wing-back Harry Pickering should return to the XI this weekend after being rested against Sunderland having played five games since the start of October.

Central defender Daniel Ayala is still a doubt after picking up an unspecified injury in the defeat at Wigan Athletic earlier in the month.

Birmingham have no fresh injury concerns but could make one change, with Troy Deeney likely to be rested to avoid the 34-year-old playing three times in just seven days.

This could see the reintroduction of Juninho Bacuna into the XI after a substitute appearance against Burnley, or perhaps a start for youngster George Hall, who provided the assist for Scott Hogan during a late cameo on Wednesday night.

Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:

Kaminski; Carter, Hyam, Wharton; Hedges, Travis, Morton, Pickering, Szmodics; Gallagher, Brereton Diaz

Birmingham City possible starting lineup:

Ruddy; Sanderson, Dean, Trusty; Colin, Bielik, Hannibal, Longelo, Bacuna; Chong, Hogan

We say: Blackburn Rovers 2-0 Birmingham City

Blackburn look set for an automatic promotion push this season and supporters will be expecting another three points against Birmingham this weekend.

Previews by email