Town manager Roy Keane is expecting a tricky game at Derby County on Monday with the Rams having one of the best home records in the division (KO 3pm). The Blues could leap to 11th place if they manage to repeat last season’s victory at Pride Park.
Keane says the Rams are up with the best in the division on their own patch: "Derby’s home record isn’t far behind the likes of Newcastle and Forest.”
The Blues boss is unlikely to make too many changes to his side unless he feels that one or two of his squad are feeling the pace after the recent run of two games almost every week or if anyone picked up a knock on Saturday.
Brian Murphy is set to stay in goal with Jaime Peters likely to keep Shane O’Connor out of the side at left-back after another fine performance against Reading. Damien Delaney and Gareth McAuley will continue in the centre with David Wright unlikely to lose his place to Liam Rosenior on the right.
In midfield, Keane will probably stick with Grant Leadbitter and David Norris in the centre with skipper Jon Walters on the right and Jack Colback on the left.
Connor Wickham could be in with a chance of a start alongside Daryl Murphy after an impressive second half against the Royals. Alternatively, Keane might rest the Republic of Ireland international and start Wickham alongside either David Healy or Pablo Couñago or pair the Northern Irishman or Spaniard with Murphy.
Midfielder Luciano Civelli remains Town’s only long-term injury with the Argentinian expected to return in pre-season.
Rams boss Nigel Clough says his side, who are currently level on points with 14th-placed Town but behind on goal difference, need one more victory to ensure their Championship status for next season: "Every effort we have will be going into Monday's game against Ipswich to get the win which we hope will wrap up Championship survival.
"We hope we can do it for the fans, and with another big crowd behind us on Monday we really want to get the job done.
"From there, we want to kick on in the remaining games and not rest on our laurels. We want to go into the summer giving everyone a degree of optimism."
Clough says he has one or two injury concerns for the Town match: "Michael Tonge has a slight calf injury so we will assess him to see how he is.
"Dean Leacock is a doubt now for Monday, so if he isn't fit Nicky Hunt will play again."
Midfielder Kris Commons is out with a hamstring injury, while defender Miles Addison is a long-term casualty with a foot problem.
The Rams have won their last two games and are unbeaten in their last five league matches.
Historically, Town have had the better of Derby, winning 28 games (26 in the league), drawing 18 (16) and losing 22 (21).
The Blues finally got their first victory of the season against the Rams at Portman Road at the 15th attempt in October, full-back David Wright netting the only goal of the game in the 66th minute.
Last season, Town did the double over Derby, goals from Pablo Couñago and Jon Walters securing a 2-0 win at home and another Walters strike bringing a 1-0 win at Pride Park later in the season.
Town striker Jon Stead, currently seeing out the season with Coventry, had a spell on loan with Derby during his time as a Sunderland player, with the Rams also making an enquiry regarding his availability early this season. Kevin Lisbie, on loan at Colchester, has also spent time on loan at Pride Park.
Former Town keeper Lewis Price is a current Derby player, but is on loan at Brentford, while Jay McEveley was on loan with the Blues in 2005/06 and Stephen Bywater was at Portman Road for a similar spell in 2007/08.
Managers Roy Keane and Nigel Clough were at Nottingham Forest together under the Derby manager’s father, as was Town coach Tony Loughlan.
Monday’s referee is Jonathan Moss from West Yorkshire, who has shown 104 yellow and seven red cards in 31 games so far this season. His most recent Town match was the 2-0 defeat at Preston in January when he booked six players, including five Blues: Owen Garvan, Grant Leadbitter, Gareth McAuley, Liam Rosenior and David Norris.
Squad from: B Murphy, Lee-Barrett, R Wright, D Wright, Rosenior, O’Connor, Peters, Delaney, McAuley, Smith, Leadbitter, Norris, Colback, Garvan, Walters, Edwards, Martin, D Murphy, Couñago, Healy, Wickham.