Top scorer Tom Lawrence and midfielder Cole Skuse return to the Town starting line-up facing Burton Albion in the Blues’ first ever competitive game at the Pirelli Stadium.
Tommy Smith and Toumani Diagouraga drop to the bench as the Blues switch to 4-4-2.
Skuse will take up his usual central midfield role having missed the last two games with the concussion he suffered in the Birmingham game, while Lawrence makes his first start since overcoming his groin problem, having come on as a half-time sub in the 3-1 defeat at Fulham last week.
Michael Crowe is the sub keeper with Dean Gerken presumably having picked up a knock.
For Burton, former Blues striker Luke Varney and one-time loan keeper Stephen Bywater are both on the bench.
Blackburn’s 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest earlier this afternoon means the 17th-placed Blues go into the game with the gap to the relegation zone only six points.
Bristol City’s 2-1 home win against QPR sees them move to within two points of the Blues level with Birmingham, who drew 1-1 at Rotherham. Burton are now 21st, two points from the drop zone.
Burton: McLaughlin, Flanagan, Brayford, Mousinho (c), Turner, Sordell, Dyer, Woodrow, Kightly, Murphy, Irvine. Subs: Bywater, Akins, McCrory, Naylor, Varney, Christiansen, Barker.
Town: Bialkowski, Spence, Chambers (c), Berra, Kenlock, Skuse, Huws, Ward, Lawrence, McGoldrick, Sears. Subs: Crowe, T Smith, Pitman, Bru, Emmanuel, Diagouraga, Samuel. Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands).