Nigel Clough wants to see individual Burton Albion players step up and make themselves the difference in Saturday's clash with Ipswich Town.

Clough's Brewers pride themselves on their team ethos, and rightly so.

It is that togetherness, solidity and organisation as a side - under Gary Rowett, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Clough himself - that has got them to where they are now.

But with a five-game winless sequence hanging over them - as well as a run of 489 minutes without a goal in the league - Albion are currently lacking that moment of individual quality to decide a game in their favour.

The Brewers could do with a moment of class like Marvin Sordell's goal against Birmingham
The Brewers could do with a moment of class like Marvin Sordell's goal against Birmingham

And Clough hopes to see just that this weekend as the Brewers look to climb out of the bottom three with a positive result against Mick McCarthy's Tractor Boys.

"Everybody needs to step up, whoever it is," he said.

"Especially when you lose players through injury, which we have done in the last few weeks - it gives other people opportunities.

"But it's not one of those as a player where you look around and say, 'who's going to do it this week, who's going to get us a goal?'

"You have to look at yourself and say, 'well I'm going to try to get one for the team this week'.

"Individually, as well as collectively, we just have to do a little bit more."

Ahead of Saturday's return to the Pirelli Stadium, Burton sit 22nd in the table, a point adrift of safety.

They have already spent longer in the bottom three this term than they did in the entirety of the 2016/17 campaign.

Victory at the weekend, though, could realistically move them up to 19th.

Burton Albion's players shortly after conceding their third goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Burton Albion's players shortly after conceding their third goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers

"No, not especially," replied Clough when asked if the Brewers felt under pressure.

"Because I don't think anybody realistically expects Burton to be anywhere else than roughly where they are.

"We are a point inside the bottom three and we haven't scored or won for five games.

"So that shows how tight it is down there with a result or two.

"Everything is focused on the next three games to try to get something before the next international break."

And if Albion's recent form has hit their confidence slightly, Clough knows there is only one way to get it back.

"We cannot dwell on it too much, because the only way to get out of that state is to win a game - score a goal and win a game," he added.

"That's what we are going to try to do on Saturday."