Earnshaw scored 85 goals in 178 league appearances for Cardiff City

Rob Earnshaw is sure Welsh rivals Cardiff and Swansea City will join his Nottingham Forest in the Championship play-offs at the end of the season.

Forest are in pole position to claim one of the four places available and Cardiff are looking good in fourth.

Swansea are fifth with Leicester a point behind in sixth - but Blackpool, in seventh, lead the chasing pack.

"I think Cardiff and Swansea have done well enough and are in good positions," said Wales international Earnshaw.

"I think all three teams will be in there, but it's going to be tough whichever way so it doesn't really matter."

Former Cardiff goal hero Earnshaw has scored 13 goals this season for Forest, who are all but out of the automatic promotion chase after being held by Cardiff on Easter Monday.

Billy Davies' side will, however, confirm their place in the Championship play-off lottery - and a shot at the Premier League - by beating Ipswich on Saturday while Cardiff can go one step closer to sealing their top-six spot by beating Reading.

Swansea and Leicester both ended winless runs on Monday to remain in the top six with Blackpool, a point behind sixth-placed Leicester, still very much with a play-off chance.

But Earnshaw believes the ultimate winners have to go into the play-offs with confidence.

"I think that's the biggest thing for each team," he said.

"Whoever is going into the play-offs needs a big confidence-boosting finish in the last few games.

"You need confidence and you need to play when it's really on and if you have a few good wins going into the play-offs, confidence is a big factor."

606: DEBATE I think we can do it just looking at the past 3 games where we played play-off contenders and remained unbeaten blueforever123

Earnshaw, who enjoyed seven years at Cardiff where he scored 85 goals in 178 league appearances, knows he could have to face his former club again in a semi-final or final at Wembley, but concedes it is part of the job.

"It would be a big day," said the 29-year-old striker.

"But it's business at the end of the day. We've got to play football.

"I'm employed by this football club to do my best and that's what I will have to do.

"We look forward to whatever happens in the play-offs."

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