Relegation threatened Birmingham City host Derby County this weekend in a battle that could have significant ramifications at both ends of the Sky Bet Championship table.
With the home side sitting just a point above 24th placed Sunderland, they will be hoping that their mini resurgence of three wins and three clean sheets on the bounce will continue this weekend as St.Andrew's welcomes back arguably their most successful manager since now Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce in the form of current Rams manager Gary Rowett.
Rowett's side enter the weekend in tremendous form
Speaking of the Rams, Rowett has put them into super charge this season with the East Midlands side currently sitting high and mighty in second spot, two points ahead of Bristol City and Cardiff City who are sitting in third and fourth spot respectively.
And with Derby undefeated in their last seven games, it was clear to see why the owners of the club secured Rowett to a long-term deal earlier in the week with signs continuously showing that he is the right man to take them back into the Premier League.
Heading into the game in B9, as previously mentioned, Rowett's side are unbeaten in their last seven league matches, and have only been defeated once in their last 11, that defeat coming against Ipswich Town at the iPro Stadium thanks to a fifth minute goal from Town defender Callum Connolly.
Contrasting fortunes for relegation threatened Birmingham despite recent resurgence
Blues on the other hand are looking to extend their unbeaten run to four games and equal their longest unbeaten run for well over two years, a run that was set by Rowett, which is four wins on the bounce, with that streak coming back in October 2015.
Steve Cotterill's side have beaten Leeds United, Reading and Burton Albion in the build up to the game against Derby, keeping clean sheets in all of those games and with no fresh injuries to worry about, it is unlikely that Cotterill will be changing his side around all that much.
With little to be changed in terms of personel, here are how the two sides could line up this weekend:
Birmingham City: Stockdale, Colin, Roberts, Dean, Grounds, Kieftenbeld, Davis, Gardner, Boga, Gallagher, Maghoma.
Derby County: Carson, Baird, Keogh, Davies, Forsyth, Huddlestone, Thorne, Russell, Vydra, Weimann, Nugent.