Boss Aitor Karanka wants his Birmingham City team to “recover the levels” they recently showed against high-flying opposition when they face Nottingham Forest.
The two teams meet at the City Ground on Boxing Day; the Reds with four points from their last two games and their opponents on a three-match losing streak.
Former Forest manager Karanka will be without Zach Jeacock (ankle), Caolan Boyd-Munce (thigh), George Friend (leg) and Josh McEachran (groin) for the clash.
And he wants his team to put in the kind of performances which earned wins away at Bristol City and Reading, as they look to bounce back from a 4-1 thumping by Middlesbrough.
After that defeat, Karanka told the club’s website: “The most difficult thing for me to deal with is how different we were a week or two ago to now.
“I have to face (this problem) as soon as possible because if we keep going in the same way, we won’t be a consistent team.
“The players need to realise (that), as it will be concerning that we have played good games.
“We have recently beaten two play-off teams, so we need to always play in the same way and forget about what might have happened in the past. With how we have played in other games, it is difficult to take.”
Birmingham are five points and three places ahead of Forest, who sit 20th in the Championship table, one point above the relegation zone.
Both sides have had time to work on the training ground before the match, with their last outings being on Saturday.
Of the build-up to the Trentside meeting, Karanka said: “It is now a week to recover, to think about what we are not doing good and recover the levels that we showed against Bristol and Reading.”
