MK Dons play host to Birmingham City on Saturday afternoon looking to secure a result that would see them maintain their position in the top six of the Championship standings.
Despite having played a game fewer, Birmingham remain in close proximity to Saturday's opponents and three points would see them overtake them in the league table.
MK Dons
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Despite this being their first season at this level under the MK Dons name, manager Karl Robinson would have been quietly optimistic that this team could make the step up, and so far, they are showing that they are more than good enough for the second tier.
We are still in August so it is still early days, but seven points from four fixtures, including two victories, is a solid return which sees them currently occupy fourth position in the table.
Robinson would have kept his team's feet on the ground after thrashing Rotherham United on the opening weekend, and that will remain the case despite beating Bolton Wanderers and securing a goalless draw away at Reading.
However, Saturday's contest against an unbeaten Birmingham side who are equally tight in defence will be a good indicator as to where they are currently at, but as they have already seen against Preston North End, anything less than their best can result in defeat.
Something Robinson will be searching for is a faster start from his side, who haven't scored in the first half of a game since the opening day of the season, a run stretching five matches in all competitions.
Recent form: WLWD
Recent form (all competitions): WWLWDW
Birmingham City
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Ahead of the start of the campaign, Birmingham weren't being backed to make an impact in the top half of the table, but boss Gary Rowett has already showed that he has put together a solid squad over the summer.
Tomasz Kuzsczak, Maikel Kieftenbeld and Jon Toral are proving to be excellent signings, and with David Cotterill and Clayton Donaldson impressing in attacking areas, the Blues have plenty of reason to be optimistic heading into the next few months.
They may encounter problems when fixtures start to come thick and fast, and they have benefited from having an enforced game off due to the state of Brentford's pitch, but for now, everything is going to plan for Rowett, who has transformed the fortunes of the club 11 months on from when he was placed in charge.
Improvements still need to be made on the road, though, with just six victories coming on their travels last season, but their 2-2 draw away at Burnley suggests that they could get to grips with that aspect of their fixture list this year.
If Demarai Gray is sold before the transfer window, or ahead of the weekend, Rowett will have to cope with losing one of his best players, but even though he perhaps wouldn't be given much of the funds to spend on new players, he has already shown that he is adept in the transfer market on a restricted budget.
Recent form: WDD
Recent form (all competitions): WWDDW
Team News
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If progress is made regarding a potential deal involving Gray to Leicester City, Rowett is likely to find his hands tied regarding the selection of the winger.
The side that began against Derby County last Friday is expected to start at Stadium MK, meaning that new signing Nicolai Brock-Madsen should start on the substitutes' bench.
Robinson will assess the fitness of his side after they played 120 minutes against Cardiff City in the League Cup on Tuesday night.
The likes of David Martin, Antony Kay and Simon Church are all expected to return to the team after dropping to the bench in midweek.
MK Dons possible starting lineup:
Martin, Spence, McFadzean, Kay, Lewington, Potter, Poyet, Hall, Carruthers, Bowditch, Church
Birmingham City possible starting lineup:
Kuszczak, Caddis, Morrison, Spector, Grounds, Gleeson, Kieftenbeld, Cotterill, Toral, Shinnie, Donaldson
Head To Head
The two teams have met just once since the founding of MK Dons, with that game coming in the League Cup in 2011 which was won by the Blues.
Before that, nine games were staged between Wimbledon and Birmingham, with the Dons prevailing in six of them.
There has never been a draw between the two clubs.
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Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:
We say: MK Dons 1-1 Birmingham City
The respective records suggest that there isn't much between the two clubs, and we believe that will inevitably result in the match ending in a draw. Both sides will believe that they have the quality to come away with maximum points, but with just one defeat between them, the spoils could be shared.
Darren Plant
