Birmingham manager Lee Bowyer described his side’s 3-0 defeat to Peterborough United last weekend as “not acceptable”.
The result meant that the Blues suffered back-to-back losses for the first time this season, following a 4-1 defeat to Fulham three days earlier.
It was in stark contrast to their promising start to the campaign, in which they lost only one of their first six matches and conceded just three times.
Bowyer will hope that the last 10 days have just been a blip and that Birmingham can rediscover their early season form as the club aim to finish higher than 17th for the first time since 2016.
However, only relegated Rotherham United picked up fewer points at home in the Championship last season and the Blues have won just one of their first four at St. Andrew’s in the new campaign.
Preston are yet to win away from home in the league this season, with only Peterborough United picking up fewer points on the road so far.
After opening the campaign with three successive defeats, Frankie McAvoy’s men are now unbeaten in five Championship matches but have drawn their last three.
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The Lilywhites held promotion-chasing West Bromwich Albion to a 1-1 draw last weekend, before progressing to the fourth round of the EFL Cup with a 4-1 win over Cheltenham Town in midweek.
Preston have won four of the last five games between the two sides, with Scott Sinclair the matchwinner in a 1-0 victory in their last meeting in January.
Should the Lancashire outfit be victorious again on Saturday, they would overtake Birmingham in the table and potentially climb into the top half for the first time this season.
