NIGEL Clough believes February will be a key month for Burton’s promotion push.

City’s visit to the Pirelli Stadium kicks off a run that also includes matches with Walsall and Southend – and Clough feels it is going to be a pivotal period for the leaders.

“It’s a big month for us,” he said. “We only have the four games in February but with Bradford, Walsall and Southend, all teams in the mix, we will know a little bit more about our chances at the end of it.”

Burton are looking for a response tomorrow after losing two of their last three games. Defeats to Shrewsbury and Rochdale sandwiched a superb win over Peterborough, highlighting the unpredictability of this season’s League One.

Clough added: “Rochdale was probably the worst we have played since we have been here. Peterborough was one of the best, certainly defensively and in terms of organisation.

“That’s football, that’s what it is. You see teams who are brilliant one week and not so good the next.

“What we are doing is striving to eliminate that inconsistency.”

Burton had taken 22 points from a possible 24 from the eight games leading up to the Shrewsbury loss.

But they lost leading scorer Nasser El Khayati on deadline day when he rejoined former boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who had originally recruited him from a Dutch amateur team, in a £350,000 move to QPR.

The winger/forward, whose position was described as a “nine and a half” by Hasselbaink, had accounted for eight of the team’s 37 goals.

Clough admitted El Khayati wanted to leave and feels his squad have the strength in depth to cope with his departure.

One of those likely to fill in is former City loanee Mason Bennett, who was borrowed from Derby last month and has come off the bench a couple of times.

The 19-year-old spent the first two months of last season at Valley Parade, starting five times and scoring in a win at Crawley.

Clough said: “(El Kayati going) was one of the reasons we wanted Mason, as a forward but also because his next best position is wide left.”