Davies wants Blues to stay in the top four

Chris Davies says Birmingham City's aim is to stay in the Championship's top four, after a strong start to the season that has lifted expectations around St Andrew's.

Blues are fourth after ten games, the point at which many believe the table starts to settle. Speaking before Saturday's home match against Queens Park Rangers, Davies did nothing to play down the ambition.

"That's absolutely my objective"

"Our objective has to be to try and stay there now," he said. "We're there, we want to stay there. I don't see any reason why we can't."

"I'm not foolish enough to expect that to be an easy task, but having looked at the league and everything that's there, if we continue with the same attitude and quality we've shown and togetherness, there's no reason we can't stay there. The first job of that is Saturday and the next one and the next one. That's absolutely my objective."

Little rotation expected

Asked about squad rotation, Davies said he would be guided by players' physical output. "The case for rotation is when you think there are players at a similar kind of level and there isn't much of a drop-off if you do rotate," he said.

That suggests few changes from the side that beat Preston 4-0 on Tuesday, and Davies is likely to name the same 20-man squad for the third game running.

Team news

Left-back Kristoffer Lund picked up a knock in a behind-closed-doors game during the international break. "So he's out and we think it's weeks, but he is still not even training yet," Davies said.

Fellow left-back Lee Buchanan is fit and training well, but has been left out for selection reasons. "He has been training regularly now for several weeks, months. He's been good, it's just been a selection as to why he has not been in the squads," Davies said. Neither would currently dislodge the in-form Alex Cochrane.

"A proper team"

QPR come to St Andrew's in good form, having beaten Derby County 4-1 on Wednesday. They have exactly the same Championship record as Blues: four wins, five draws and one defeat, and they are unbeaten on the road.

"They are looking to me like a proper team," Davies said. "They have definitely improved from last year. They can play. They have got a goalkeeper who plays out from the back a lot. Ball possession. Defensively I've always thought they've been pretty organised and solid."

"I think out of the teams we have played, they will be one of the better ones, definitely."

Blues go into the game on the back of two clean sheets and with Liam Millar and August Priske in form in front of goal. Kick-off at St Andrew's is on Saturday afternoon, and a win would see Blues end QPR's unbeaten away record and strengthen their claim to be genuine promotion contenders.