Chris Gunter insists Nottingham Forest must start transforming their Carling Cup form at the City Ground into home league points.

The Reds host Blackburn in the third round of the cup on Tuesday night having previously beaten Bradford and Middlesbrough on the banks of the River Trent.

But Forest have won only one Coca-Cola Championship game in front of their own supporters this season - against East Midlands rivals Derby at the end of last month.

Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Blackpool was their third league loss this campaign and Gunter sees the visit of the Barclays Premier League club as the ideal opportunity for Forest to begin to build some momentum at the City Ground.

"It is a good game to play in and I am sure Blackburn will try and come here and attack and we want to keep the cup run going and see where that gets us," said the Wales full-back.

"We have to pick ourselves up and look forward to it and get winning at home. If we can get a victory against Blackburn then it will give us a big boost.

"There isn't much wrong at the moment. We are creating chances to score, we just need to start taking them.

"But we can't keep saying it over a long period of time, we can't keep losing at home. Over a season it is impossible to keep the hard-luck story going. It is tough for the fans to stay positive but, in the league, we should be on more points than we have got.

"If we are picking up good points away like we have been doing because we are unbeaten, then when we come home we need to start winning to back that up.

"And with the quality we have got, especially in attack, it is going to change. Hopefully it will start on Tuesday night."

Blackburn-born Joe Garner will return to the Forest squad against his hometown team.

Garner, who began his career with the Lancashire club, was suspended against Blackpool but will compete for a striking role along with Dele Adebola, Dexter Blackstock, Robert Earnshaw, David McGoldrick and Nathan Tyson.

Boss Billy Davies is likely to make changes and Paul Smith could replace Lee Camp in goal having played in previous rounds.

Radoslaw Majewski is unlikely to be risked. It was hoped the Polish midfielder, whose extra-time goal against Middlesbrough got the Reds to this stage of the competition, might return from a knee problem against Blackpool but he suffered a slight setback on the eve of that game.