Blues boss Mick McCarthy seems likely to field the same XI that beat Birmingham 1-0 on Saturday when his side take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park this evening (KO 8pm). The new boss was delighted with the industry his team showed during his first game in charge, although would like to see more quality.
Keeper Stephen Henderson made a vital stop from Nikola Zigic at St Andrew’s and is set to keep his place in goal.
Skipper Carlos Edwards will continue at right-back despite taking a couple of knocks at the weekend, with Aaron Cresswell at left-back and Luke Chambers and Danny Higginbotham at the heart of the defence.
McCarthy says holding midfielder Guirane N’Daw was suffering with cramp in both his calves and hamstrings after being replaced late on during Saturday’s game and was considered a doubt by his manager.
The Senegalese international will keep his place if fit but his absence could see Andy Drury come into the starting line-up having been a sub on Saturday.
With Palace playing a five-man midfield, McCarthy could choose to match them using Nigel Reo-Coker, Richie Wellens, whose loan spell is up after Saturday’s home game with Burnley, and ideally N’Daw in the centre, with Lee Martin on one flank and Daryl Murphy, who started up front on Saturday, also wide. DJ Campbell will keep his place up front having scored three goals in five games for the Blues.
Town’s only injury at present is Paul Taylor, who looks set to miss the rest of the season as he needs surgery on the cracked bone in his foot he suffered in September. Fellow summer signing Elliott Hewitt is continuing his comeback from his hip operations having spent time out ill with tonsillitis recently.
McCarthy is looking for a repeat of Saturday’s performance in terms of endeavour but wants to see more quality from his team: "I hope we get the same level of effort, commitment and performance. I hope we play perhaps better football.
"Having won a game it might relax them. We didn’t pass it as well as we could have done and get something out of it. Some form of a positive result, a draw or a win. That’s what I’d like.”
Having been a spectator for Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Blackburn, Ian Holloway will take control of his new club for the first time tonight.
Holloway takes over in the wake of Dougie Freedman’s departure for Bolton with Palace in third in the table, 17 points and 21 places above the Blues.
He says he is aiming to do even better with the Eagles than he did at his previous club: "I am taking over from some fantastic people and I am the lucky beneficiary. My challenge is to try and beat what I did at Blackpool here at Crystal Palace.”
Midfielder Jonny Williams picked up a knock while playing for Palace’s U21s and misses out, while club captain Paddy McCarthy is a long-term absentee with a groin problem.
Selhurst Park became a home for Town old boys during former Blues boss George Burley’s brief tenure at the start of 2010/11 with David Wright, Owen Garvan and Lewis Price all still amongst the playing staff.
Centre-half Damien Delaney joined them this summer shortly after having his contract torn up at Portman Road. The Eagles are undefeated in his 11 games since he moved to Selhurst Park at the end of August.
The 31-year-old has already equalled his Town goals total of three during his short spell in South London.
Former Town academy schoolboy Stuart O’Keefe joined the Eagles from Southend in the summer of 2010 summer, having been released by the Blues at 16.
By contrast, only coach Mark Kennedy from the Town staff has played for Crystal Palace, while goalkeeper-coach Malcolm Webster was on Burley’s backroom team at Selhurst Park.
Striker DJ Campbell played for Ian Holloway at Blackpool and the former Seasiders boss tried to take him back to Bloomfield Road prior to him moving to Town on a 93-day loan last month.
Town have the edge over the years, winning 31 games between the sides (29 in the league), drawing 24 (24) and losing 25 (25).
In April, Jason Scotland scored his eighth goal of 2011/12 as Town drew 1-1 at Selhurst Park. The Blues dominated the first half but the Eagles were in front at the break via on-loan Norwich striker Chris Martin, Scotland equalising in the second half.
At Portman Road earlier in the season, Paddy McCarthy’s goal 10 minutes after the break was enough to give Crystal Palace a 1-0 victory, ending Town’s six-game unbeaten run. The Blues, who had Aaron Cresswell sent off for a second yellow card late on, were second best throughout.
Tickets are available to Town fans for cash on the night via an away box office in Park Road. It seems likely a lot of Blues supporters will turn up on the night, so it's worth arriving early as there are usually significant queues at Selhurst Park anyway.
Don’t forget to log your forecast for tonight's game on the TWTD Prediction League, here.
This evening’s referee is Darren Sheldrake, whose last Town match was the 1-1 home draw with Birmingham in April, when he booked only one of the visitors. The Surrey-based official has shown 36 yellow cards and one red in nine games so far this season.
Squad from: Henderson, Loach, Lee-Barrett, Edwards, Cresswell, Ainsley, Chambers, Higginbotham, Smith, Mohsni, Hyam, N’Daw, Reo-Coker, Wellens, Drury, Martin, Carson, Emmanuel-Thomas, Murphy, Chopra, Campbell, Scotland, Ellington.