Clark puts faith in new-look Campbell

Nottingham Forest take on the Premiership new boys, Sunderland, today with their manager, Frank Clark, urging Kevin Campbell to show more of the "real" thing.

Campbell doubled his Forest goal tally with his hat-trick against Coventry at Highfield Road last weekend after an injury-wrecked first season. Now with a North-east one-two at the City Ground in the space of three days - Middlesbrough are the visitors on Saturday - Clark is looking for the striker to continue his side's flying start. "That hat-trick will certainly have not done Kevin's confidence any harm - but he's not going to score three goals every game," Clark said.

"He has got to keep working for the team the way he has been doing. He's done well right from pre-season and last Saturday was a big lift for him after the bad time he had last season. I am sure we will see the real Kevin Campbell this season, and he is looking the kind of striker I thought he would go on to become when I signed him.

"However, we have all got to make sure we don't throw away the work of Saturday when, apart from the result, the performance was also very good. Sunderland will be full of it. With newly promoted clubs, you always find the enthusiasm and newness of being in the Premier League keeps them firing in the early part of the season."

Bryan Roy, another striker with plenty to prove after last season's disappointing form, is back in training after a hamstring injury ruled him out last Saturday. But he must wait to see whether he will earn a recall, and probably the best he can hope for is a place on the substitutes' bench against a Sunderland side likely to see Niall Quinn making his full debut up front.

While Forest look to build on their opening-day triumph, the Aston Villa manager, Brian Little, is already aware of the danger of losing early touch with the pacemakers. He is anxious for his side to quickly redress the balance when they entertain Blackburn Rovers today after the reversal against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsbrough. "Last season we were seldom beaten two matches in a row and nearly always bounced back from a defeat with a positive performance.

"As a result, we managed to stay in touch at the top of the division nearly all the way through. Last season we got off to a great start with the win over Manchester United, and that set us up for the remainder of the year."

Savo Milosevic, the Aston Villa striker, is again ruled out with an Achilles injury and has been ordered to rest this week. Julian Joachim is in contention for a place in the starting line-up after impressing as substitute against the Owls. He could partner Dwight Yorke up front, with Tommy Johnson reverting to his preferred deeper role behind the front two, from where he can run at defenders.

Rovers, still suffering from the dispiriting effects of Alan Shearer's pounds 15m departure, could make changes after their opening-day defeat at the hands of Spurs.

The Norwegian international Lars Bohinen has recovered from a hamstring injury, and the Scottish midfielder Billy McKinlay is free to play after suspension, though a leg strain might again rule him out.

Leicester City could recall the player who clinched their place back in the Premiership when they name their side for today's home encounter with an unchanged Southampton. Steve Claridge, who netted the play-off decider against Crystal Palace, is back in training after an ankle injury.