Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City will headline an exciting weekend of Championship action when the league’s top two teams clash at Loftus Road.
Third place Swansea City will be hoping to put pressure on QPR and Cardiff with a win over Portsmouth on Friday night. Other playoff contenders in action include Derby County and Leeds United, who travel to Burnley and Reading respectively. Sixth pace Nottingham Forest travel to Leicester City on Monday night.
At the bottom end of the table, Preston North End are in desperate need of a win when they play host to Millwall. Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace will be looking for victory to help their relegation fight when they play host to Hull city and Doncaster Rovers respectively.
Sunday afternoon will see the East Anglian derby between fellow playoff contenders Norwich City and Ipswich Town at Carrow Road.
Third place Swansea City will look to put pressure on the league’s top two teams with a win at sliding Portsmouth Friday night. Portsmouth will be looking to snap a four game winless skid, but face a tough task to do so against the Swans, who have conceded only two goals at home all season.
Swansea possess an excellent defensive record, but have surprisingly have scored the same amount of goals as rock bottom Preston North End. The Swans made a move to improve their strike force in midweek when they brought in Wales international striker Jermaine Easter on loan from Milton Keynes Dons.
Alan Tate will return from suspension for Swansea, while Captain Garry Monk will miss the game with a calf injury.
After a previous run of good form, Portsmouth find themselves sliding back towards the relegation fight and will be looking to turn things round with a good result here. They will have to do so without defender Carl Dickinson, who will be suspended for the next three games for his dismissal against Doncaster Rovers. Hermann Hreidarsson could be fit to start his first match of the season as he returns from an Achilles injury.
Sheffield United will travel to Bristol City looking to pick up their third straight win and continue their climb away from the relegation zone. Bristol also need the points as they sit only one place and three points above the bottom three.
Leading goal scorer Jon Stead is an injury doubt after suffering an ankle knock, while Louis Carey remains unavailable also with an ankle problem.
Sheffield United will be without suspended striker Daniel Bogdanovic, while Jamie Ward is out with injury.
Crystal Palace currently sit in the relegation zone three points adrift of safety. They will be looking for victory against visiting Doncaster Rovers here but do not face an easy task as Donny are unbeaten in four games.
Palace will be without injured Captain Paddy McCarthy and suspended midfielder Owen Garvan. Influential midfielder Darren Ambrose hopes to play despite struggling with a hamstring injury.
Doncaster are boosted by the return to health of defenders Adam Lockwood and Shelton Martis. The Rovers front line will be led by in-form striker James Hayter, who has scored in each of his last five games.
Barnsley and Watford will go head to head at Oakwell needing a win to stay in touch of the playoff race. Barnsley will enter the game looking for their fourth straight win, while Watford will be looking to end a run of six games.
Tyke’s defender Nathan Doyle will be suspended after picking up his fifth booking of the season. Wolves loanee Matt Hill should play after having his loan deal extended until January.
Watford Captain John Eustance will return after a one-match ban for the Hornet’s. Birmingham loanee Jordon Mutch played well in the absence of Eustace, and will be hoping to retain his place in the starting 11.
Middlesbrough are three points adrift of safety, and will be seeking victory here against fellow relegation strugglers Hull City.
Boro have not scored in their previous two games, and rumors of unrest surrounding leading goal scorer Kris Boyd will not help their cause. Hard working midfielder Gary O’Neil is an injury doubt due to a knee problem.
Hull have won back to back games and their fans will also be boosted by Nigel Pearson’s recent activity in the loan market. Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone, who has kept consecutive clean sheets extended his stay until January, while young Manchester United winger Cameron Stewart arrived in midweek.
Preston North End have lost three consecutive games and are in danger of losing touch at the bottom of the table. They will face visiting Millwall who last week ended a bad run with victory at Middlesbrough.
Preston shored up their defensive line last week with the loan signing of Burnley defender Leon Cort. Winger Keith Treacy will return from suspension.
Millwall could hand a debut to Bournemouth loanee striker Josh McQuoid who arrived in midweek. McQuoid will be hoping to make a similar impact to Southampton loanee Jason Puncheon, who scored the winning goal in his debut at Middlesbrough last week.
Scunthorpe United are sliding towards the relegation zone, and will be looking to end a run of three consecutive defeats when playoff contenders Coventry City come to Glanford Park.
The Iron are suffering from a number of defensive injuries and as a result have recalled Andrew Wright from his loan spell at Grimsby Town. Scunthorpe have extended the loan spell of West Ham United’s Freddie Sears until January.
David Bell may return for Ceventry, while Ben Turner, Sammy Clingan and Stephen O’Halloran are all out.
The league’s top two teams will go head to head in a mouth-watering clash at Loftus Road on Saturday afternoon. Queens Park Rangers remain undefeated this season, while Cardiff City will be looking to bounce back from last week’s defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest.
QPR striker Heidar Helguson will return after a neck injury, while Shaun Derry and Bradley Orr are back from suspension. Midfielder Akos Buzsaky is a long term absentee but did return to light training this week.
Cardiff can go top of the league with victory, and will hope their cause is helped by Chris Burke and Lee Naylor who will receive late fitness tests. Stephen McPhail is one victim of a reported illness that has struck the Cardiff training ground this week.
Reading have drawn three consecutive games and will be looking for victory when they play host to Leeds United. Leeds will be looking to continue a five game unbeaten run that has seen them climb into the playoff spots.
Reading were boosted in midweek by the loan arrival of midfielder Mikele Leigertwood from league leading Queens Park Rangers. Brynjar Gunnarsson and defender Matt Mills will be missing for the Royals.
Bolton Wanderers loanee Andy O’Brien extended his loan stay until January, while Leeds will be without Richard Naylor and Patrick Kisnorbo who are both suffering from knee injuries.
Burnley are within one point of the playoff spots despite winning only one of their last seven games. Saturday evening would be good time to add to that win total as fourth place Derby County visit Turf Moor.
Burnley could hand a debut to Swedish under-21 striker John Guidetti, who arrived on loan this week from Manchester City. Defender Danny Fox is out with an ankle problem, while Martin Paterson and Chris Eagles will receive late fitness tests. Andre Bikey should be fit to return for the Clarets.
Gareth Roberts is suspended for Derby, while Shaun Barker will return from his ban. James Bailey is healthy again for the Rams after an illness.
The East Anglian derby will be played Sunday afternoon with both teams in playoff contention. Norwich City enter their clash having drawn four consecutive games, while Ipswich Town will be looking to end a run of three consecutive defeats.
Norwich City boss Paul Lambert spoke excitedly to BBC Sport of the importance of the game. Referring to his days playing for Glasgow Celtic, Lambert said “derby games are special, there’s no doubt about it. It’s as important as the one’s I’ve been involved in.” Unfortunately for Lambert, his involvement in this game will be limited as he serves the first of a two game touchline ban.
Norwich could hand a debut to exciting young Arsenal prospect Henri Lansbury, who arrived on loan in midweek form the Gunners. Adam Drury and Korey Smith are injury doubts for the Canaries.
Ipswich manager Roy Keane also spoke this week to BBC about the importance of this game. “We know what it means to the supporters,” said the former Manchester United star.
Keane boosted his playing squad this week with the loan signings of Gianni Zuiverloon from West Bromwich Albion, and New Zealand’s World Cup striker Rory Fallon who arrived from Plymouth Argyle.
The Tractor Boys suffered a double injury blow in midweek when defender Gareth McAuley and striker Conor Wickham were ruled out.
East Midlands rivals Leicester City and Nottingham Forest will renew hostilities in a Monday night clash at the Walkers Stadium. Leicester will be looking to rebound from last week’s disappointing loss to Bristol City against an in-form Forest team who are riding a four game unbeaten streak.
Leicester were boosted in midweek by the loan arrival of England international goalkeeper Chris Kirkland from Wigan Athletic.
Forest made some high profile loan signing themselves in midweek. Goal scorer Marcus Tudgay from Sheffield Wednesday was joined at the City Ground by Arsenal and Wales starlet Aaron Ramsey. Ramsey will be making his return to competitive action after the horrific leg break he received playing for the Gunners against Stoke City last season.
Striker Dexter Blackstock received a hammer blow this week when he found out the knee injury he suffered in the 2-0 win at Cardiff City will see him sidelines for at least a year.
At the bottom end of the table, Preston North End are in desperate need of a win when they play host to Millwall. Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace will be looking for victory to help their relegation fight when they play host to Hull city and Doncaster Rovers respectively.
Sunday afternoon will see the East Anglian derby between fellow playoff contenders Norwich City and Ipswich Town at Carrow Road.
Third place Swansea City will look to put pressure on the league’s top two teams with a win at sliding Portsmouth Friday night. Portsmouth will be looking to snap a four game winless skid, but face a tough task to do so against the Swans, who have conceded only two goals at home all season.
Swansea possess an excellent defensive record, but have surprisingly have scored the same amount of goals as rock bottom Preston North End. The Swans made a move to improve their strike force in midweek when they brought in Wales international striker Jermaine Easter on loan from Milton Keynes Dons.
Alan Tate will return from suspension for Swansea, while Captain Garry Monk will miss the game with a calf injury.
After a previous run of good form, Portsmouth find themselves sliding back towards the relegation fight and will be looking to turn things round with a good result here. They will have to do so without defender Carl Dickinson, who will be suspended for the next three games for his dismissal against Doncaster Rovers. Hermann Hreidarsson could be fit to start his first match of the season as he returns from an Achilles injury.
Sheffield United will travel to Bristol City looking to pick up their third straight win and continue their climb away from the relegation zone. Bristol also need the points as they sit only one place and three points above the bottom three.
Leading goal scorer Jon Stead is an injury doubt after suffering an ankle knock, while Louis Carey remains unavailable also with an ankle problem.
Sheffield United will be without suspended striker Daniel Bogdanovic, while Jamie Ward is out with injury.
Crystal Palace currently sit in the relegation zone three points adrift of safety. They will be looking for victory against visiting Doncaster Rovers here but do not face an easy task as Donny are unbeaten in four games.
Palace will be without injured Captain Paddy McCarthy and suspended midfielder Owen Garvan. Influential midfielder Darren Ambrose hopes to play despite struggling with a hamstring injury.
Doncaster are boosted by the return to health of defenders Adam Lockwood and Shelton Martis. The Rovers front line will be led by in-form striker James Hayter, who has scored in each of his last five games.
Barnsley and Watford will go head to head at Oakwell needing a win to stay in touch of the playoff race. Barnsley will enter the game looking for their fourth straight win, while Watford will be looking to end a run of six games.
Tyke’s defender Nathan Doyle will be suspended after picking up his fifth booking of the season. Wolves loanee Matt Hill should play after having his loan deal extended until January.
Watford Captain John Eustance will return after a one-match ban for the Hornet’s. Birmingham loanee Jordon Mutch played well in the absence of Eustace, and will be hoping to retain his place in the starting 11.
Middlesbrough are three points adrift of safety, and will be seeking victory here against fellow relegation strugglers Hull City.
Boro have not scored in their previous two games, and rumors of unrest surrounding leading goal scorer Kris Boyd will not help their cause. Hard working midfielder Gary O’Neil is an injury doubt due to a knee problem.
Hull have won back to back games and their fans will also be boosted by Nigel Pearson’s recent activity in the loan market. Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone, who has kept consecutive clean sheets extended his stay until January, while young Manchester United winger Cameron Stewart arrived in midweek.
Preston North End have lost three consecutive games and are in danger of losing touch at the bottom of the table. They will face visiting Millwall who last week ended a bad run with victory at Middlesbrough.
Preston shored up their defensive line last week with the loan signing of Burnley defender Leon Cort. Winger Keith Treacy will return from suspension.
Millwall could hand a debut to Bournemouth loanee striker Josh McQuoid who arrived in midweek. McQuoid will be hoping to make a similar impact to Southampton loanee Jason Puncheon, who scored the winning goal in his debut at Middlesbrough last week.
Scunthorpe United are sliding towards the relegation zone, and will be looking to end a run of three consecutive defeats when playoff contenders Coventry City come to Glanford Park.
The Iron are suffering from a number of defensive injuries and as a result have recalled Andrew Wright from his loan spell at Grimsby Town. Scunthorpe have extended the loan spell of West Ham United’s Freddie Sears until January.
David Bell may return for Ceventry, while Ben Turner, Sammy Clingan and Stephen O’Halloran are all out.
The league’s top two teams will go head to head in a mouth-watering clash at Loftus Road on Saturday afternoon. Queens Park Rangers remain undefeated this season, while Cardiff City will be looking to bounce back from last week’s defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest.
QPR striker Heidar Helguson will return after a neck injury, while Shaun Derry and Bradley Orr are back from suspension. Midfielder Akos Buzsaky is a long term absentee but did return to light training this week.
Cardiff can go top of the league with victory, and will hope their cause is helped by Chris Burke and Lee Naylor who will receive late fitness tests. Stephen McPhail is one victim of a reported illness that has struck the Cardiff training ground this week.
Reading have drawn three consecutive games and will be looking for victory when they play host to Leeds United. Leeds will be looking to continue a five game unbeaten run that has seen them climb into the playoff spots.
Reading were boosted in midweek by the loan arrival of midfielder Mikele Leigertwood from league leading Queens Park Rangers. Brynjar Gunnarsson and defender Matt Mills will be missing for the Royals.
Bolton Wanderers loanee Andy O’Brien extended his loan stay until January, while Leeds will be without Richard Naylor and Patrick Kisnorbo who are both suffering from knee injuries.
Burnley are within one point of the playoff spots despite winning only one of their last seven games. Saturday evening would be good time to add to that win total as fourth place Derby County visit Turf Moor.
Burnley could hand a debut to Swedish under-21 striker John Guidetti, who arrived on loan this week from Manchester City. Defender Danny Fox is out with an ankle problem, while Martin Paterson and Chris Eagles will receive late fitness tests. Andre Bikey should be fit to return for the Clarets.
Gareth Roberts is suspended for Derby, while Shaun Barker will return from his ban. James Bailey is healthy again for the Rams after an illness.
The East Anglian derby will be played Sunday afternoon with both teams in playoff contention. Norwich City enter their clash having drawn four consecutive games, while Ipswich Town will be looking to end a run of three consecutive defeats.
Norwich City boss Paul Lambert spoke excitedly to BBC Sport of the importance of the game. Referring to his days playing for Glasgow Celtic, Lambert said “derby games are special, there’s no doubt about it. It’s as important as the one’s I’ve been involved in.” Unfortunately for Lambert, his involvement in this game will be limited as he serves the first of a two game touchline ban.
Norwich could hand a debut to exciting young Arsenal prospect Henri Lansbury, who arrived on loan in midweek form the Gunners. Adam Drury and Korey Smith are injury doubts for the Canaries.
Ipswich manager Roy Keane also spoke this week to BBC about the importance of this game. “We know what it means to the supporters,” said the former Manchester United star.
Keane boosted his playing squad this week with the loan signings of Gianni Zuiverloon from West Bromwich Albion, and New Zealand’s World Cup striker Rory Fallon who arrived from Plymouth Argyle.
The Tractor Boys suffered a double injury blow in midweek when defender Gareth McAuley and striker Conor Wickham were ruled out.
East Midlands rivals Leicester City and Nottingham Forest will renew hostilities in a Monday night clash at the Walkers Stadium. Leicester will be looking to rebound from last week’s disappointing loss to Bristol City against an in-form Forest team who are riding a four game unbeaten streak.
Leicester were boosted in midweek by the loan arrival of England international goalkeeper Chris Kirkland from Wigan Athletic.
Forest made some high profile loan signing themselves in midweek. Goal scorer Marcus Tudgay from Sheffield Wednesday was joined at the City Ground by Arsenal and Wales starlet Aaron Ramsey. Ramsey will be making his return to competitive action after the horrific leg break he received playing for the Gunners against Stoke City last season.
Striker Dexter Blackstock received a hammer blow this week when he found out the knee injury he suffered in the 2-0 win at Cardiff City will see him sidelines for at least a year.
