Nottingham Forest will be looking to get back to winning ways in The Championship as they take on Queens Park Rangers at The City Ground on Saturday afternoon.
The Reds suffered defeat on Tuesday as they were well beaten by Jaap Stam's Reading team 3-1 at The Madejski Stadium. It was a poor performance and one that they will want to put right as soon as they possibly can.
As for QPR, they have hit some form of late and picked up another victory on Tuesday night against in-form Sheffield United at Loftus Road. They will be confident of picking up a third win on the trot in this one.
How they've fared so far
It was a very frustrating night for everyone connected with Forest on Tuesday as it felt very much like an opportunity missed. The Reds were just one point off the play-offs before kick-off and due to other results, would have moved into the top six if they had managed to pick up all three points. However, a dismal first-half performance ultimately meant that they were unable to come away from the game with anything.
Mark Warburton has stated the importance that Forest must start taking their chances in front of goal and getting their 'rewards'. This comes after the Reds missed numerous chances at the start of the second-half to get themselves back into the game. If they had taken the lead or even equalised, the home crowd would have become nervy due to the recent run of form Reading have been under. It was a very poor result for Forest and they will know that they need to respond in front of their home crowd this weekend.
Overall, it has not been a bad start to the season for the Reds. They currently sit in mid-table, having picked up seven wins and eight defeats. They now find themselves four points off the play-offs and 11 clear of the relegation zone. Considering the club avoided relegation by just two goals last season, this has to be seen as progress and Warburton is certainly taking the team in the right direction.
This match against QPR is very important as it is the last game before the international break. The last thing Warburton will want is for his side to head into that two-week break on the back of two consecutive defeats. It is imperative that the supporters are sent home in a positive mindset about what is to come in the lead up to Christmas.
As for QPR, they have been impressive in The Championship of late and have now picked up two consecutive defeats against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield United. Both of these sides have been flying high at the top of the division so far this season so Ian Holloway's side are clearly playing well at the moment.
However, QPR do have a dreadful record at The City Ground and Holloway will be aware of how difficult the task will be. His side have been shown to be suspect defensively at times this season and this is something that Forest are definitely capable of exploiting on Saturday afternoon.
Last time they met
Forest last played QPR in The Championship in a 2-0 defeat at Loftus Road in April. Conor Washington gave the home side the lead in the first-half before former Forest defender Joel Lynch secured the three points with a second on the hour mark.
The defeat further increased Forest's relegation worries as their fate was left undecided heading into the final day of the season.
However, Forest did manage to secure a result the last time QPR visited The City Ground in a 1-1 draw. Britt Assombalonga gave the home side the lead in the first-half but Idrissa Sylla equalised for Rangers just five minutes from time.
Team news
Warburton has received a boost for this one as striker Daryl Murphy has returned from injury and is available for selection. Left-back Armand Traore is also available but was not selected in the squad on Tuesday which was seen as a strange decision by many. One player who will not be available is Danny Fox as he continues to recover from injury.
As for QPR, Lynch is back available for selection following serving out his suspension. However, Nedum Onuoha, James Perch and Grant Hall are all set to miss out once again.