Max Lowe says Derby County’s players are not feeling any pressure after embarking on an impressive run of form.
Derby have recorded five successive league wins to shoot up the Sky Bet Championship table and into play-off contention.
Phillip Cocu’s side have won all three games since the league campaign resumed last month following a three-month break due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Their rise up the table throughout the second half of the season has taken them to seventh place and just a point outside the play-off spots with six games left to play.
From their last six matches, the Rams must face five sides above them in the table who are gunning for promotion.
Next up for Derby is the visit of East Midlands neighbours Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon (12:30pm).
Speaking ahead of the match, defender Lowe says Derby’s players are not getting ahead of themselves and enjoying their positive run of form.
“The confidence is high,” Lowe told RamsTV.
“Wednesday’s win at Preston (1-0 victory thanks to Wayne Rooney’s first-half goal) wasn’t pretty, but they are the wins at the end of the season that you remember. We were buzzing and now we are getting ready for Saturday.
“We’re on a good run, really strong at home and I think we’re ready for the challenge; hopefully we can pick up another three points against a good Forest side.
“We are enjoying the run we are on because there is no pressure on us, given where we’ve come from.
“We know that we have one of the best forms in the league, but we are just looking at the teams above us.”
He added: “If they drop points then it’s an opportunity for us so we’re just taking it game-by-game. That is what we’re doing and after every game we are looking at the table and if we are closer then it’s a bonus. That’s the way we need to keep looking at it.”
Academy graduate Lowe, who is now 23, has made 28 appearances in all competitions this season.
Having come through the club’s youth set-up, he is aware of the history between Derby and Forest.
With games being played behind-closed-doors, Lowe admits playing a local derby in a empty stadium will be a surreal experience.
“Especially being at home, it’s going to be different,” Lowe said.
“We are going to have to make the atmosphere ourselves as there will be no crowd.
“We are going to have to start off well in the game.”