Nottingham Forest play host to Cardiff City in the Championship on Saturday afternoon aiming to bounce back from the disappointment of throwing away two points late on last weekend.
They come up against a Bluebirds side unbeaten in the league so far this campaign, who themselves are looking increasingly tough to beat under the watch of Russell Slade.
Nottingham Forest
© Getty Images
If not for a late Stephen Dobbie strike in the 1-1 draw away at Bolton Wanderers last time out, Forest would have been sitting nicely level on points with Queens Park Rangers in sixth place.
As it is, that goal - which came in the fourth minute of added-on time - leaves the Reds with a steady five points from the opening 12 on offer.
Two draws, one defeat and a sole win does not offer a great deal of insight into exactly which end of the table Forest are likely to be battling at this season, though the pessimists among the fanbase will point to one win in 12 league outings as evidence that more needs to be done.
Talk over the future of star player Michail Antonio - who has had a hand in 28 goals for his side - certainly has not helped Dougie Freedman, with the wideman recently being left out of the squad to face Charlton Athletic.
West Ham United are the latest team to have reportedly shown an interest, while local rivals Derby County are also rumoured to have made one enquiry already this summer.
There is also a strong suggestion that Michael Mancienne has become the subject of a bid by fellow Championship side Fulham, testing Freedman's resolve a little further ahead of next week's transfer deadline.
In terms of movement in the opposite direction, Forest have so far had to make do with free transfers and loan signings, helping to strengthen a squad that slipped away badly after a promising spell when Freedman first took over.
In many ways, this weekend's meeting with Cardiff - a side Forest have struggled against of late - could effectively decide the strength of the Reds' start to the campaign, with a victory needed in front of home supporters to provide some further positivity ahead of the international break.
Recent form (all competitions): LLWDD
Cardiff City
Heading into last week's meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Slade was desperate for a first league win to put a positive spin on his side's start to the campaign.
Three draws on the bounce for the Bluebirds poised the age-old question for supporters to answer - glass half empty or half full?
As it turns out, three points against Wolves in a fine team display leaves City in a far more promising position just outside the playoff zone.
Defeat at MK Dons in the League Cup in midweek did not do too much to knock supporters' confidence, though Slade is still trying to win over supporters some 10 months after taking over.
The former Leyton Orient chief's first game in charge came against an unbeaten Forest side in South Wales, with the Bluebirds producing a home display that was arguably only bettered by what was witnessed in the highly professional 2-0 win over Wolves.
In fact, it was a 2-1 victory at the City Ground on the final day of last season which left Cardiff fans feeling a little more optimistic at the end of what had been a turbulent campaign on the whole.
Slade has certainly turned his group of players into a more settled outfit since then, cutting the wage bill and bringing in just two new senior faces, one of which - Gabriel Tamas - joined this week on a free contract.
Rejecting all approaches for goalkeeper and star man David Marshall also sends out a strong message for the season ahead, as the Welsh outfit look to make it eight league games without defeat when they travel to the Midlands.
Recent form (all competitions): DWDDWL
Team News
© Getty Images
Bruno Ecuele Manga made a welcome return to action last weekend, but he is likely to have to wait for his first start which means Sean Morrison and Matthew Connolly remaining in the heart of defence.
Craig Noone was struggling through illness in the midweek cup tie with MK Dons, while Lee Peltier and Aron Gunnarsson also picked up knocks, but each should be available if needed.
The only other question as far as the visitors are concerned comes in attack, where Sammy Ameobi will be pushing for a start following his first goal for the club last weekend.
Britt Assombalonga's long-term absence continues to be a problem for Forest, while a question mark over the fitness of Dexter Blackstock could see Forest go with Tyler Walker up front once more.
With plenty of speculation regarding the future of Antonio, and less than a week to go before the transfer window closes, it is possible that the in-demand winger will be omitted for a second time.
Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:
De Vries; Pinillos, Hobbs, Mills, Lichaj; Mancienne, Ebecilio; Osborne, Lansbury, Ward; Walker
Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Marshall; Fabio, Morrison, Connolly, Peltier; Ralls, Dikgacoi, Whittingham, Pilkington; Jones, Mason
Head To Head
Forest have lost five of their last six league meetings with Cardiff, winning the other game in that sequence.
That includes three victories in a row, though rather ominously for City they have never beaten the Reds in four successive encounters.
First-half goals from Joe Ralls and Federico Macheda gave 10-man Cardiff a 2-1 win over Forest on the final day of last season.
Video Preview
Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:
We say: Nottingham Forest 2-2 Cardiff
Cardiff remain unbeaten in the league after making a solid start to the season, while Forest are just one point further back after a late slip-up in their last outing. A tight match is expected at the City Ground between two teams likely to be lodged in the top half come May, with a stalemate the most likely outcome on Saturday.
No Data Analysis info
