Wolverhampton Wanderers boss worried by Nottingham Forest
Blues need a positive result at home with third-placed Reading, who face Crystal Palace in the evening kick-off, four points behind but with a game in hand.
The match will be a meeting of former Aberdeen team-mates Alex McLeish and Bryan Gunn, and the Canaries boss said: "If you go for a point, you end up not getting any but if you go for three, you don't know what you're going to get.
"I think that's the positive attitude we'll need to go for, certainly at this stage of the season. Birmingham are an excellent side and probably the best side with the best and most experienced squad."
Birmingham are boosted by the return to fitness of top goalscorer Kevin Phillips (hamstring) after a month on the sidelines, although whether manager McLeish decides to include him in his matchday 16 remains to be seen.
Fellow striker Garry O'Connor played the final 25 minutes of last weekend's 2-0 victory at Doncaster and should be handed more game time after almost five months out with a groin problem.
In the day's other games, second-bottom Southampton travel to Blackpool, play-off chasers Preston are at Charlton and Coventry host Doncaster in a mid-table clash at the Ricoh Arena.
Derby play Barnsley at Pride Park, Watford are at Ipswich and sixth-placed Burnley face Plymouth at Home Park, while QPR and Bristol City meet at Loftus Road.
Sheffield Wednesday host Swansea, while on Sunday Sheffield United travel to Wales to take on Cardiff.
