Coleman is keen to sort the men from the boys as City take on bottom side Charlton Athletic tonight at the Valley (7.45pm).
"It is games like this if you do come back with something with the team that is available - severely weakened by bodies missing - that it can give you a little bit of a platform and confidence before we go to Watford," said Coleman to the CT's Andy Turner.
"When I was at Fulham and Palace and we played up north they used to call us southern softies and that's when you would find out when you look around the dressing room on a cold and wet December night who was up for it, so it is nights like that when you find people out. "We will be underdogs but we believe we can go there and get some points.
"It is not April at the Ricoh and 2-0 up at half-time and everyone wants to play, so it is these games when you sort the men from the boys."