Town boss Mick McCarthy is pleased that the international break will allow his players to rest after a busy first two months of the season. The Blues go into the break in sixth place in the Championship, two points off top and unbeaten in their last seven matches.
"I’m delighted, it just gives the lads a break,” he said. "We’ve only got a squad of about 23 but there’s always been some out, so we’ve been working with a squad of about 20 and they’ve all put a shift in.
"It’ll be a chance to give them a break and have a few days off and rest their legs.”
He added: "We’ve got 19 points, in the last seven games we’ve had four wins and three draws, which is a great return. Would I have taken that from the last seven games? Absolutely, of course I would.”
Town have three players away on international duty, Jonny Williams with Wales, Christophe Berra with Scotland and Daryl Murphy, scorer of two goals at Forest on Sunday, with Ireland.
McCarthy says Murphy, the Blues’ top scorer on six this season, is in the form of his life and loving his football at present: "He’s probably enjoying his football as much as he ever has in his career.”
What’s behind the 31-year-old’s rich vein of form and greater success in front of goal in the last couple of seasons?
"I could wax lyrical and say it was me or TC that’s done it,” the Town boss laughed. "One, he’s eventually signed a contract, he was on loan for a long time, which is never perfect.
"I signed him from Waterford for Sunderland, so I’ve known him a long time, I’ve got a good relationship with him.
"And TC works with him and all the strikers and he’s as good a coach as I’ve ever seen working with strikers and he improves them. And that’s just what’s happening.
"He’s got a great desire to work hard and put a shift in over and above the ability he’s quite clearly showing in front of goal.”
Meanwhile, McCarthy was similarly impressed with Tyrone Mings’s display at the City Ground, the 21-year-old having made a number of important challenges during the first half in particular.
"They’re long enough his legs, aren’t they!” he joked. "I think we played well. We had to defend well against a very capable team.”
Having endured a nervy last few minutes at Forest as Town sought, ultimately unsuccessfully, to hold onto the lead, the Town manager says those type of situations never become any less stressful no matter how long he has been in the game.
"It is hard,” he admitted. "You certainly don’t want to lose it at that stage. It’s very difficult to do anything other than defend it when a team’s throwing people forward and they’ve left players up and they’re putting it in our box.
"It’s nerve-wracking but it keeps the ticker going. I have my health check every six months and I’m all right, I’m cool.”