Boss Mick McCarthy says Town will approach Saturday’s crucial home game against Nottingham Forest and their final week visit to Blackburn just as they have all their other matches this season. Saturday could see the Blues, who are sixth in the Championship, confirm a place in the play-offs for the first time in a decade.
"Forty-four games in I’m trying to do it exactly the same way as I’ve been doing it for the last 44,” McCarthy said. "I’m not trying to be smart about it.
"What can I do that is different? I haven’t got a magic plan for a two-game season and I haven’t got a magic plan for a three-game season if we get into the play-offs, except, of course, that’s home and away, so it is slightly different.
"We’ll approach the game at full tilt, like we’ve done every single game. Some we’ve won, some we’ve lost, some we’ve played well, some we’ve not played well. But I’m not changing the approach to it.”
He says he doesn’t know whether Forest having nothing of consequence left to play for - they’re 11th, out of the play-off race and in no danger of going down - will have a bearing on the match.
"No idea, I’ll tell you that after the game,” McCarthy said. "I think they have got something to play for, personally.
"I think as professional players they’ll come down here and they’ll be seeing where we are and they’ll be wanting to knock us off our perch because if I was in their position that’s just what I’d want to be doing.
"I wouldn’t want to be on the pitch when the home fans are chanting ‘We’re going up, we’re going up’ and enjoying the atmosphere. As a pro player I would certainly want to be putting a dampener on that, and I think the Forest players will.”
He added: "They’ve got good players. It’s a terrific club but it’s just been a bit of a mixed season for them, but that happens.
"I think they’ll be a really dangerous opponent. I look at the squad of players they’ve got, we get four reports from their last four games. They’ve got good players so we’ll have to be at our best to beat them.”
Town are expecting a crowd at around the 24,500 mark and McCarthy says the fans have a part to play on what could be a tense afternoon.
"How we play can have an impact on them first and foremost,” the Town boss said. "If we start off really well and are playing well I think the crowd will get behind us.
"If we start off nervy and edgy it affects them. How does it work first? I’m not sure. I guess when it does get nervy and edgy on a pitch, I know it’s difficult for a fan then to be buoyant and cheering and supporting, but that’s what we need.
"That’s what any club needs because that is when you can make a difference and I certainly thought they did against Blackpool when it got nervy and edgy, and against Cardiff I thought the support was great.”
If Town’s result is better than both Brentford’s at Reading and Wolves’ at Wigan then the Blues’ place in the play-offs is confirmed.
If all three win Town should be all but there as they are currently three points ahead of both their rivals with a goal difference four higher than the Bees’ and seven greater than the Midlanders’. Town would move into fifth if they beat Forest and Derby lose at Millwall.
However, McCarthy typically keeping his feet on the ground, expecting the matter to go to the final day
"We could clinch it, I’m not convinced that would happen, that we’ll go away from here on Saturday night with a win and everything’s rosy,” he said.
"It’s not been like that all season as far as I can remember, so I don’t expect that’ll start now.
"Our fans have been terrific and in the last two games I thought they helped us to win those and I would hope and expect that they’ll do the same tomorrow.”
McCarthy seems unlikely to stray too far from the team which drew 1-1 at Wolves last weekend.
Bartosz Bialkowski will continue in goal with skipper Luke Chambers - one of three ex-Forest players in the Town squad - at right-back and Tyrone Mings on the left. Tommy Smith and Christophe Berra will be at the centre of the defence.
Cole Skuse will be in his usual central midfield role with Teddy Bishop probably ahead of him, while Jay Tabb seems likely to start on the left.
Luke Varney is back from his hamstring injury and could come in on the right for Jonny Parr. Up front, 24-goal Championship top scorer Daryl Murphy will partner Freddie Sears.
Kevin Bru is likely to be back amongst the subs having overcome his calf injury but Richard Chaplow is set to miss out having picked up a minor groin problem in training. Striker Chris Wood has been recalled by Leicester.
Forest boss Dougie Freedman says he and his players will give Town a difficult afternoon, despite their season effectively being over.
"I’m really excited to go to a team that’s still fighting to get promotion and to see us pit ourselves against it,” the Scot told the Forest club site.
"There’s no way I’ll be going down there and taking it easy. For any travelling fans, I’m telling them to expect a tough game, but one which we’ll put everything we have into winning.
"There’s no need to change too much this week because we’ve had a nice week at the training ground. It’s been good weather and I’ve enjoyed getting my point across to the players.”
Freedman is without centre-half Kelvin Wilson, who is suspended, while Matty Fryatt (achilles), Chris Cohen (knee), Andy Reid (groin) and Britt Assombalonga (knee) are all still sidelined with injuries.
The Forest manager says 20-year-old midfielder Jorge Grant will be in the squad having impressed him in training.
Centre-half Danny Collins was on loan with Town in the 2011/12 season, while former Blues left-back Dan Harding is also a member of the Forest staff, but is on loan at Millwall.
Luke Chambers joined Town on a Bosman free transfer after departing the City Ground in the summer of 2012, while David McGoldrick signed on loan from the Tricky Trees in January 2013 before putting pen to paper on a permanent deal the following summer.
Paul Anderson was with Forest from August 2008 until July 2012, initially on loan from Liverpool.
Historically, Forest very much have the upper hand, winning 34 of the games between the two sides (31 in the league), 17 (16) ending in draws and Town winning 19 (18).
In October at the City Ground, Michail Antonio’s injury time goal prevented the Blues from claiming their first win at the City Ground in 15 years as the teams played out an entertaining 2-2 draw.
Daryl Murphy had twice put the Blues in front with Robert Tesche having grabbed the home side’s first equaliser.
When the teams last met at Portman Road in March 2014, Murphy headed home his 11th goal of the 2013/14 season 12 minutes from time to see the Blues to a 1-1 draw.
Town fought back in the second half after a disappointing display before the break had seen them trailing to former loanee Danny Collins’s fourth-minute goal at half-time.
Prior to the match the club will be giving out 500 Town flags to children in the East of England Co-op Stand, while there will also be activities on the Fieldturf.
Essex County Cricket Club, Fynn Valley Golf Club, Ipswich Hockey Club and the the Blues’ Advanced Coaching Programme will all be putting on demonstrations and will be looking for youngsters to get involved.
Prior to kick-off there will be a minute's silence to mark the 30th anniversary of the Bradford Fire Disaster.
The friends of Town supporter Chris Reynolds, who died aged 21 at the weekend, are asking fellow fans to take part in a minute’s applause in his honour in the 21st minute of the game.
Following the match there will be the traditional lap of honour by the club’s players and staff.
Saturday’s referee is Graham Salisbury from Lancashire, who has shown 131 yellow cards and eight red in 33 games so far this season.
Salisbury’s most recent Town match was the 3-1 win at Millwall in January in which he kept his cards in his pocket throughout.
Squad from: Bialkowski, Gerken, Kenny, Chambers (c), Hewitt, Mings, Smith, Berra, Clarke, Skuse, Bishop, Bru, Ambrose, Parr, Varney, Anderson, Tabb, S Hunt, Murphy, Sears.