Both Queens Park Rangers and Birmingham City suffered heavy midweek defeats last time out, with The R's losing 6-1 against relegation threatened Blackpool at Bloomfield Road and Blues falling to 3-0 defeat in Chris Wilder's first home game in charge of Watford at Vicarage Road.
Both sides have been far from impressive since the turn of the year, with QPR on a run of two wins in 21 league games and Birmingham faring slightly better with four wins in 18 games. There is plenty of work to do for both sides, with Saturday presenting the perfect opportunity for one team to really make a statement and begin to put a good run of results together for the tail end of the season.
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Team news
QPR
QPR are expected to be without key attackers Ilias Chair and Chris Willock as the pair are currently sidelined with hamstring injuries.
Question marks also remain over the availability of defensive trio Leon Balogun, Ethan Laird and Kenneth Paal, who are all scheduled to return to action after the international break. Gareth Ainsworth is expected to mix his squad up after suffering such a huge defeat last time out, with fresh faces likely to be given a chance to impress the new Hoops boss.
Birmingham
Blues head coach John Eustace will once again have midfielder Juninho Bacuna available after serving his suspension, but Troy Deeney and Dion Sanderson remain absent because of injuries.
Birmingham were uninspiring last time out and as with Ainsworth, Eustace could make changes with the result of this game impacting both sides in their mission to stay clear of the drop zone.
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Predicted lineups
QPR (3-1-4-2)
Archer, Dickie, Dunne, Field, Johansen, Drewe, Iroegbunam, Lowe, Kakay, Adomah, Dykes
Birmingham (4-4-2)
Ruddy, Colin, Dean, Long, Trusty, Bacuna, Chang, Bielik, Chong, Hall, Jutkiewicz
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Ones to watch
QPR - Albert Adomah
The experienced winger is likely to play some part in Saturday's matchup, whether it be starting the contest or from the bench.
Adomah's performance will probably dictate how the afternoon goes for his team, with the Ghanaian playmaker only losing four of his 21 games against the Brummies, a bad omen for John Eustace's side.
Whether it be for Middlesbrough or bitter rivals Aston Villa, Birmingham always seem to struggle dealing with Adomah as the veteran seems to relish the chance of playing against Blues. Adomah's minutes have been fairly limited this season, but this fixture always seems to bring out the best in him and could prove to be a catalyst in QPR's push to beat the drop.
Birmingham - Lukas Jutkiewicz
Time and time again, the performances of Lukas Jutkiewicz steer Birmingham clear of relegation worries, performing at the times where it really matters.
This time of season is when Jutkiewicz seems to hit form, a problem for any defender to deal with due to his physicality and direct approach.
The striker has featured regularly in the last month of action, filling in for the injured Deeney and out of form Scott Hogan. Seven points clear of the drop zone with nine games left, Blues still need a couple more wins to solidify their place in the Championship next season, Jutkiewicz has delivered in the past and will have to deliver again in this time of need.
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Previous meetings
Both QPR and Birmingham have now been in the Championship for a considerable amount of time, meaning this has been a regular fixture in years gone by.
The most recent meeting saw Birmingham emerge 2-0 victors, with defenders Auston Trusty and Manny Longelo scoring decisive goals in the first-half. Both teams were in much better form when this game was played in October, and both sides will be looking to recapture this spark on Saturday.
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Match details
Where is the game being played?
The game is being played at Loftus Road, home of Queens Park Rangers.
What time is kick-off?
The game will kick off at 15:00 BST and the match referee will be Keith Stroud.
How can I watch?
Unfortunately the game is not available to watch in the UK. Fans worldwide can listen to the game via either club website, for a price of £2.50 or for a £4.49 monthly pass. Match highlights will be available shortly after the full time whistle.
