City manager Nigel Pearson says his team must "be at their best" this weekend if they are to see off Cardiff City at the Walkers Stadium.

It's a meeting of the sides placed fifth and sixth place in the Championship, as the Foxes aim to put the disappointment of last Saturday's 2-0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday behind them.

Dave Jones's side could move ahead of Leicester if they were to beat them, and the importance of the game is not lost on Pearson.

"It's a big game for us, they've been in and around the play-offs all season and are a very strong Championship side.

Although their form has been a little bit sketchy of late we know that they'll still be a tough nut to crack on the day."

City have enjoyed two emphatic home wins in recent weeks, hammering Scunthorpe 5-1 and beating Forest 3-0 in the East Midlands derby.

Despite being pleased with City's form at the Walkers, Pearson says he still expects a close encounter with the Bluebirds.

"We've done well going forward, but in addition to that we've also been defending as a team well.

People will try and make a call on whether it'll be a high scoring game or not, but what's important is that we get the performance right."

A win for Pearson's side would move them five points clear of Cardiff in fifth, but Pearson isn't worried about the bigger picture at the moment.

"I'm not interested in all the various sub-plots , I'm only interested in the game itself, and after that we can look at the wider implications."