After a mixed start to the season, successive victories over promotion contenders has lifted spirits at Birmingham City.

An away win at Bristol City was backed up by three more points against Reading last night, moving Blues up to 15th in the Championship, eight points behind the play-off places.

New boss Aitor Karanka will have learnt a lot about his team in the opening months of the campaign, and he will be aware that it's long-term project at St. Andrew's.

So, the next few transfer windows are going to be crucial, including the upcoming January one.

Here we look at THREE players that will be desperate to prove a point in the coming weeks ahead of that...

Kristian Pedersen

The left-back has been a key figure since joining the club, but the last few weeks have been tough.

Pedersen is now by no means a guaranteed starter, and there's no denying his form has suffered. He seems to be at a crossroads in his Blues career, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Birmingham City quiz: Can you name the club’s top goalscorer from the last 13 seasons?

David Davis

The 29-year-old has been frozen out since Karanka took over, but Maikel Kieftenbeld was in a similar position, and he has starred in the two recent wins.

So, things can change quickly in football and Davis will believe he can offer something to this team.

Karanka isn't settled on his best midfield, so an opportunity may come up in the coming weeks as the fixtures build, although it seems unlikely.

Dan Crowley

The attacking midfielder is another who is way down the pecking order, and it's hard to see him getting any minutes before January.

Crowley's lack of game time has been a regular topic among Blues fans, as they feel he has something to offer.

The ex-Arsenal man would love a chance to show that on a regular basis, but he may not get the chance he craves given the number of options ahead of him right now.