The Championship run-in: 24 key questions for 24 clubs

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From left to right: Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg, Ipswich forward Jack Clarke, Coventry manager Frank Lampard, Millwall winger Femi Azeez and Hull striker Oli McBurnie

The relative calm of the international break is soon to give way to the chaos of the Championship run-in with seven games - eight in the cases of Portsmouth and Ipswich - squeezed into 30 days.

The demands on squads are considerable with the additional pressure and, of course, excitement of either competing for automatic promotion, play-offs or trying to avoid competing in League One next term.

As much as parity prevails in England's second tier, by this stage not all clubs have the same priorities and targets so BBC Sport has spoken to correspondents across all 24 clubs to get a sense of what matters to them over this home straight.

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Coventry have led the Championship table for 30 of their 39 fixtures

Can Coventry top 100 goals for the season, if not 100 points?

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Haji Wright is Coventry's leading scorer in the Championship with 16

Rob Gurney, BBC CWR

The answer to the first part is probably, the answer to the second part is possibly.

Six teams have previously reached or exceeded 100 points in a Championship campaign: Burnley and Leeds last season, the Clarets also in 2022-23, Leicester City in 2013-14, Newcastle United in 2009-10 and Reading's record-breaking 106-point side of 2005-06.

But only Fulham have breached the 100-goal mark with 106 in 2021-22.

It has been an astonishing season for the Sky Blues where club records have been falling left, right and centre; with 80 points and 81 goals, scoring 19 more in seven games is not beyond the realms, although winning all seven to reach 101 points is a little more far-fetched.

But you would not put anything past this Frank Lampard team.

The pessimists among us, and there were plenty, thought their wobble in December and January would put paid to any automatic hopes, particularly when February began with a 0-0 draw at home to Oxford.

Not a bit of it, though - seven wins in the past eight has the finishing line tantalisingly close now.

Haji Wright, Ellis Simms and Brandon Thomas-Asante are all into double figures, with the prospect of Ephron Mason-Clark and Tats Sakamoto joining them.

It has been a campaign for the ages, one that will be talked about for decades to come, as long as the finishing touches do not go awry, and they won't.

Will misfiring Middlesbrough score enough goals to earn promotion?

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Middlesbrough rank second in the Championship for total shots (598) but are ninth for expected goals (58.61) and fifth for goals scored (56)

Paul Addison, BBC Radio Tees

Middlesbrough remain in the driving seat for the second automatic promotion spot in the Championship, but their inability to score goals threatens to undermine their campaign when it matters the most.

For all the control Boro exert in nearly all their matches, too many performances have followed a familiar pattern: loads of possession and attractive football but no cutting edge in front of goal.

Boro create opportunities in bucket loads yet lack that key ingredient – ruthlessness.

Too often, promising moves break down with the final pass, and a lot of fans think they're guilty of overplaying – of trying to execute the perfect goal – too often.

There's no doubt Boro are stuttering – they have gone three games without a win and have only scored one goal in that time.

Home form is a worry too, at exactly the wrong time. Incredibly the last time they won at the Riverside Stadium was against Norwich at the end of January.

There remains easily enough quality in the squad to put a run together, but unless Middlesbrough find a reliable source of goals - whether through David Strelec or Tommy Conway hitting form or by spreading the load across the team - they risk slipping out of the top two.

And rather than celebrating a long-awaited return to the top flight with open topped bus tours and adulation from the Boro supporters they will be having to concentrate their collective minds on the lottery of the play-offs.

Would promotion this season be Kieran McKenna's greatest achievement at Ipswich?

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Kieran McKenna's win percentage in the Championship with Ipswich is 55.9%

Graeme McLoughlin, BBC Radio Suffolk

Town's run to automatic promotion from League One in 2022-23 was remarkable given it looked like it would be play-offs at best after a frustrating stalemate at Bristol Rovers in February.

Just over a year later, the march to the Premier League with largely the same group of players sparked unrivalled scenes at Portman Road.

This time around, Town have spent significantly more after waving goodbye to some immensely popular players, not least one of the club's greatest ever captains in Sam Morsy.

Those departures mean supporters have had to fall in love with a new team all over again, and many have found it difficult.

A slow start amidst a national narrative of McKenna's men being expected to walk the division did not help, and nor has the lack of a comeback win.

Not since Easter Monday 2024 have Ipswich taken three points from a match during which they fell behind.

They came agonisingly close to righting that particular wrong at Stoke just a few weeks ago, and hopefully the Potters' late equaliser does not prove costly come May.

The fallout from a controversial recent stadium tour is another factor worth mentioning.

Less than a fortnight after Town chairman Mark Ashton called on all supporters to unite around the team for one final push, many feel their club has become the subject of an unwanted political controversy.

With all of the above in mind, if McKenna can get this group back into the Premier League, the feat would take some topping.

Will Millwall finally get over the line?

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Since returning to the Championship for the 2017-18 season, Millwall have not finished higher than eighth - a final position they have achieved four times

Chris Peddy, BBC Sport England, London & South East

Eleven minutes into the final game of last season, Millwall were sitting pretty in the top six with a 1-0 lead away at already-promoted Burnley thanks to Mihailo Ivanovic's early goal.

But Josh Brownhill's equaliser just two minutes later set the Clarets on the way to a 3-1 win, which resulted in the Lions finishing eighth in the table and two points off the play-off spots, having started the day just outside the top six on goal difference.

Two seasons before they were even closer, shut out by a single point under Gary Rowett - having come ninth the year prior to that.

This term, under Alex Neil, the chance to go not just one better, but several places more than that, is firmly within their grasp.

Having spent much of the season in the hunt for automatic promotion, Millwall sit fourth on 69 points, two behind second-placed Middlesbrough, with seven games remaining.

Win at Boro in Friday's lunchtime kick-off and they will jump up to second before Ipswich Town play on Monday, although the Tractor Boys would have two games in hand.

After their trip to the Riverside, the run-in looks agreeable for Neil and his side.

Just two sides, Norwich City (10th) and Queens Park Rangers (12th) of the six they will face are currently in the top half, and they welcome both to The Den.

They will close out the season against relegation-battling Leicester City (away) before hosting Oxford United at home on the last day.

Millwall face a big challenge to secure a top-two finish against clubs who have both been there and done it recently, as well as having scored more and conceded less goals this season.

But a place in the top six and chance to get to Wembley has become a genuine expectation rather than hope.

Two seasons ago under Neil Harris, Millwall were outsiders for the play-offs on that day up at Turf Moor, they would love to have it sewn up by the time Oxford visit south east London on 2 May.

Do the constant additions to Hull's injury list look like derailing their final play-off push?

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Only Coventry (121) have had more goals for and against in the Championship this season than Sergej Jakirovic's Hull (119)

Mike White, BBC Radio Humberside

It is certainly proving a challenge but it is a situation Hull have dealt with in one way or another for most of the season.

They have been without some big impact players for significant chunks including leading scorer Oli McBurnie, who could be even deeper into his double-figure tally had he not missed almost two months from October to December.

Add to that, fresh injury setbacks for Mo Belloumi and Liam Millar following their initial returns from ACL injuries and Eliot Matazo (another ACL), who has not played in the first-team since last February.

Then with the likes of Joe Gelhardt, Ryan Giles, Semi Ajayi, Lewie Coyle, Regan Slater, Matt Crooks and John Lundstram all missing time you have a medical room full of quality, influential first-teamers.

Whilst automatic promotion is still an optimist's dream, the play-offs feel more realistic and to not finish the job would leave a sour taste having proven themselves to be quite a disruptor to this Championship season but conversely, the foundations are there for this to be more than just a one-time only deal if they did miss out this time around.

The Tigers, under impressive head coach Sergej Jakirovic have found ways to overcome the odds time and time again this season.

And after surviving relegation by the skin of their teeth almost a year ago and going into this campaign amid the backdrop of penalties and transfer sanctions by the EFL for financial failings, they now have a chance to prove a lot of people wrong.

Can Saints keep their momentum after the international break?

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Tonda Eckert has won 18 of his 29 games in charge of Southampton

Adam Blackmore, BBC Radio Solent

There is every chance under Tonda Eckert.

The break came at a bad time for Saints - their long unbeaten run had finally got them into the top six - and then it's no games for two weeks and seven in April to follow.

It is going to be hectic, fraught and fun with Saints for sure. Just look at this week, which is the season really.

They host Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-final and then back that up with Wrexham and Derby - the two sides next to them in the league - all in the same week.

But they have shown they can deliver at the end of a three-game week by beating Coventry recently, and more than anything else, their mentality under Tonda Eckert has been transformed - focused, together, and aiming to catch the teams above them more than worrying about dropping out of the top six.

That may happen, but I would be surprised after all the hard work they have put in to get there.

Can returning players fire Wrexham into the top six?

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Kieffer Moore has scored 11 goals in 32 league appearances for Wrexham

Ian Mitchelmore, BBC Sport Wales

George Dobson was a welcome inclusion in the matchday squad for Wrexham's 2-1 comeback win at Sheffield United prior to the international break following the midfielder's spell on the sidelines through suspension.

Phil Parkinson will also hope to have striker Kieffer Moore and midfielder Matty James available for selection again in early April following their injury issues.

Moore - scorer of 13 goals across all competitions this season - has missed each of his side's past four games due to a hamstring injury.

As for James, he has not featured since sustaining a toe injury in Wrexham's 2-0 defeat by Millwall on 7 February.

The strength-in-depth of the Red Dragons' squad has been sufficient enough to ensure they remain well and truly in the hunt for a play-off place amid their recent injury concerns - with Ben Sheaf and Liberato Cacace also sidelined at present.

But the hope in north Wales is that having additional options to select from for the run-in can only bolster Wrexham's already decent chances of having a crack at what would be a fourth successive promotion.

Can John Eustace and Derby end a season of setbacks with unexpected success?

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John Eustace's Derby have won four of their past five games to remain very much in the play-off picture

Ed Dawes, BBC Radio Derby

Seven games remain in a season few could have imagined for Derby County. Head coach John Eustace has battled an almost relentless injury list, yet his side somehow remain in contention for the play-offs.

Denied access to Eustace during pre-season, many of us were blindsided by the revelation that several key players were injured, unfit or awaiting surgery.

A slow start followed - just one win in the opening 10 - and criticism inevitably grew. But in hindsight, the lack of available quality made that early struggle understandable.

As players gradually returned, Eustace moved closer to fielding something like his strongest side.

Then came another blow: top scorer Carlton Morris ruled out for a significant spell.

Still, with Sondre Langas, Lewis Travis and Patrick Agyemang back in the fold, performances improved.

Hard-working, unfussy, occasionally dogged - Derby rediscovered an identity that earned points even when fluency was lacking.

The 5-0 demolition of Bristol City was the outlier that hinted at something more. It was Derby's most complete display in years and a reminder not to underestimate this group.

So, can Eustace turn Derby into this season's surprise play-off package? I think he can.

Nobody backed them in August, yet their resilience has kept them in the conversation.

Injuries, though, remain the defining variable. Rhian Brewster's knee issue and Sam Szmodics' concussion protocol concerns threaten to derail momentum.

Derby need Langas, Jacob Widell Zetterstrom and others back firing - and above all, no more setbacks. That, ultimately, will decide their fate.

Using Opta's power rankings as a measure of the comparative strength of each Championship team at present, John Mousinho's Portsmouth have the toughest run-in in the division.

Pompey must face each of the top three between now and the first weekend of May plus Norwich City, who are the form team of 2026.

Relegation survival rivals Leicester City have the weakest run-in on paper as while the Foxes host promotion contenders Hull and Millwall at the King Power Stadium, their remaining five fixtures are against teams in the bottom half.

Opta's power rankings, external are updated daily, assigning an ability score to each domestic team across 413 leagues based on their form and previous results calculated against the strength of the opposition faced.

Does Watford's transfer policy continue to hold them back?

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Nestory Irankunda is one of 13 players, aged 21 or under, who have made a Championship appearance for Watford this season

Geoff Doyle, BBC Three Counties Radio

As we have suspected for much of the season, Watford are probably not going to have quite enough to reach the play-offs.

One of the main factors will be the transfer policy of buying relatively unknown young and usually overseas players with the aim of turning them into top talent.

There has been success with this, but the Championship is a long slog, and teams need players who have been there, seen it and done it. Watford have some of those types but not enough and the balance is shifting further away.

Javi Gracia resigned in February as he was frustrated at the lack of transfer activity in the early January window.

Like previous head coaches Gracia wanted experienced, established players to compliment the bright, exciting talents. He did not get them.

The last time Watford won Championship promotion in 2021 the team was made up of established players like Ben Foster, Craig Cathcart, Tom Cleverley, Will Hughes, Andre Gray and Troy Deeney with young stars like Joao Pedro and Ismaila Sarr the sprinkling on the top. Even the promoted team from 2015 had more experience than now.

Watford do have some knowhow in their current squad but most recently (in the past three transfer windows) of the 20-odd latest new recruits (including loans) only three had had any previous Championship experience: Marc Bola, Nathan Baxter and Pierre Ekwah.

Watford would argue finding that type of player is difficult and then paying big sums in wages for players who do not have a sell-on value is bad business. It is a fair point but it is likely to hinder their chances of promotion.

In such a tough, competitive league the best Championship players have consistency and that often comes down to experience and previous game time in the division.

It is a policy which has held them back in terms of the play-offs and promotion this season but at least compared to other Championship teams Watford are on a relatively firm financial footing heading into the summer.

Can Philippe Clement prove he is the manager of the season?

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No club has taken more points than Philippe Clement's Norwich in 2026 as the Canaries have won 11 and lost four to claim 33 points

Chris Goreham, BBC Radio Norfolk

On the morning of 25 November, Norwich City only had nine points. They had lost all eight of their home games, were one place off the bottom of the table and 8 points adrift of 20th place. It was bleak.

Philippe Clement had replaced Liam Manning as head coach and lost his first game in charge 4-1 at Birmingham City. Imagine telling supporters that they would go on to sell star striker Josh Sargent and have a squad ravaged by injury for the rest of the season. League One felt inevitable.

What has followed must rank as the biggest comeback in club history.

Clement has turned what is, give or take a couple of players, the same squad that languished in autumn into springtime superstars. They are fitter, better organised and a team that no-one really wants to play against.

The team has fully bought into the big Belgian's methods and the relish with which they are taking on opponents has proved infectious.

Carrow Road has gone from as toxic as it's been in a generation to as buoyant as it was in the heady promotion winning days of Paul Lambert, Daniel Farke and Alex Neil.

A top six finish this time may be a bridge too far but the fact it even remains possible is remarkable.

The Canaries hit the 50-point mark in the middle of March which felt impossible before Christmas. It's hard to think of a manager anywhere who has made a bigger impact this season.

Can Chris Davies earn himself a third season in charge at Birmingham City?

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Chris Davies' Birmingham have averaged 1.84 points per home game this season, compared to 0.9 on the road

Richard Wilford, BBC WM

Given the evident ambition of the club's owners, and the financial investment pumped into the first-team squad, the inability to trouble the play-off places will weigh heavily on Chris Davies.

A significant rejig of the squad in January initially looked like giving the club the momentum to push for the top six, away wins at Oxford, Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich hinting that their travelling woes might have come to an end.

That proved to be a false dawn, and the limp defeats at Millwall, Charlton and Derby left the away fans making their dissatisfaction very clear.

The contrast with the home form is stark. Davies has lost only twice in 42 league games at St Andrew's, creating the type of fortress that could have been the foundation stone for another highly successful season.

Last term's 111-point campaign in League One will always be underrated given the finances at Blues' disposal, but it also gave rise to an expectation that they could emulate Ipswich and earn back-to-back promotions.

The reality is that the class of '25 were not Championship-hardened, too many summer signings fell short of the level required, and Davies himself needed to adjust to the brutally testing nature of the second tier.

He is a meticulous hard-worker, and he will have learned an enormous amount from the experience.

The question is whether owners Knighthead trust in continuity and believe in Davies' ability to push the team forward, or whether they choose a new leader to try to speed up the process.

Can QPR youngsters stake a claim for next season?

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Kieran Morgan has made just nine league starts for QPR this season

David McIntyre, BBC Sport England

The final matches of the campaign give QPR head coach Julien Stephan a potential chance to assess whether certain youngsters might be viable options for next season.

Kieran Morgan is definitely one of them. The midfielder, who recently turned 20, has shown flashes of real promise since being signed in 2024 after leaving Tottenham.

Nicolas Madsen and Jonathan Varane being injured, and Sam Field being on loan at Norwich, meant Morgan was recently recalled to the side. He has again done well and will get more game time to assess whether he might be a fixture of the team next season, possibly in the number eight role.

At left-back, Rhys Norrington-Davies has done a steady job on loan from Sheffield United, enabling the club to ease Esquerdinha into Championship football. A run of matches would now give Rangers a chance to see whether the 19-year-old Brazilian looks cut out for more game time next season.

And in attack, academy product Rayan Kolli and Australian youngster Daniel Bennie will both be looking to make an impact. Kolli scored twice in the recent 6-1 thrashing of Portsmouth and continues to impress with his finishing when chances come his way.

Kolli and Bennie being more involved would also allow Stephan to rest Richard Kone, who has led the line while top scorer Rumarn Burrell and January signing Justin Obikwu have been unavailable. Kone has understandably looked tired at times, but Rangers haven't felt able to leave him out.

Should Paul Heckingbottom experiment between now and the end of the season?

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Academy product Theo Carroll signed a three-year professional contract last summer

Gary Hunt, BBC Radio Lancashire

The 3-1 win over Stoke City before the international break offered brief relief for Preston North End as only their second victory in 13 league games.

It did not hide a wider drop from play‑off contention to mid‑table, with North End now 13th on 52 points and another season in the Championship all but confirmed.

The final seven games leave manager Paul Heckingbottom with a decision: maintain his established approach or use the run‑in to try new ideas.

Young players like Kitt Nelson and Theo Carroll are pushing for minutes, and tactical tweaks could help shape summer planning.

The Stoke performance underlined the benefits of change. A more dynamic midfield, led by Spurs loanee Alfie Devine, produced a braver, more progressive style - something supporters have long wanted.

Despite budget constraints, there remains a sense the team could achieve more.

But change carries risk. A poor finish could hit season‑ticket sales and increase scrutiny on Heckingbottom, whose tenure is seen as steady but lacking clear progress.

With rumours of possible new ownership, sticking with caution is an obvious temptation.

If North End aim for a top‑eight push next season, personnel changes alone won't be enough. This final stretch may be Heckingbottom's best chance to show genuine evolution is possible at Deepdale.

What constitutes success for Vitor Matos in Swansea's final seven games?

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Swansea have won seven more points and are two places higher than they were after 39 games last season

Gareth Vincent, BBC Sport Wales

Swansea's early-season play-off hopes gave way to concern about a potential relegation scrap until Vitor Matos, who was appointed head coach in November, steadied the ship.

Despite a notable upturn in form – particularly at home – a top-six push has always looked a big ask given that Swansea were only outside the bottom three on goal difference at the end of Matos' first week in charge.

Nevertheless, the Portuguese recently insisted that he could not comprehend the idea that Swansea's season might drift to its conclusion.

So what can Matos' team achieve from here on in? In terms of the table, while the play-offs look highly unlikely, an improvement on last year's 11th-place finish would at least represent progress after an undulating campaign.

As for individual players, there are plenty who could do with an end-of-season flourish to prove that they should be central to Matos' plans in 2026-27.

While Zan Vipotnik has thrived up front, Swansea have issues out wide, with the likes of Ronald and Eom Jisung struggling in terms of end product, while big-money recruit Adam Idah could do with a strong end to what has been a stop-start season.

Matos, meanwhile, will be hungry to ensure the mood remains positive in the final weeks of the campaign - and therefore during the summer transfer window - having had a positive impact since taking the reins.

Can the Potters prove their season has been one of progress?

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Milan Smit has scored twice and added one assist in 10 appearances since signing in January from Go Ahead Eagles

Mark Elliott, BBC Radio Stoke

For most of the clubs in the Championship, success and failure can be separated by the dotted line that splits the top six from the rest.

At the start of this season, anywhere from 16-18 clubs would have felt that with a fair wind behind them they could potentially gatecrash the play-offs and it does not take advice from Rachel Riley to work out 18 into six doesn't go.

Stoke City were not one of that group who actively expected to challenge for promotion after another poor season last time out but hope turned into something more after their opening 14 games yielded 27 points.

Then, loosened by an injury crisis of the sort most involved had never seen, the wheels fell off.

Success now must be found in going into next season in a stronger position than they began this and that process begins now.

Many of the players recruited over the past two transfer windows have failed to make a meaningful impact, undermining the squad's ability to deal with those injuries.

Can players like Tomas Rigo, Milan Smit, Lamine Cisse and Robert Bozenik show that they have acclimatised to life in the second tier and are ready to consistently affect games?

There are a number of players within about a year of the end of their contracts and several on loan and their future is now up for discussion with Stoke sure of what division they'll be playing in come August.

In terms of results, 62 points and 14th place are the best the Potters have managed in their seven seasons since relegation from the Premier League so anything better than that would feel like progress.

Based on their points per game so far, Coventry City are currently on pace to reach 94 points, a total that falls short of the triple figures Leeds United and Burnley recorded last term but is still above the average required to top the table over the past 10 years.

Average points is calculated not by what a team finishes with, but what would have been required as a minimum figure to finish first, second, sixth or 21st each season.

For example, while Burnley reached an impressive 100 points in 2024-25 to finish second, 91 would have sufficed because that was one more than third-placed Sheffield United.

Can Roy Hodgson bring a sense of calm to the growing storm at Bristol City?

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Ashton Gate has been the second and 25th stop of Roy Hodgson's managerial career

Richard Hoskin, BBC Radio Bristol

By Roy Hodgson's own admission – it will take a couple of games to get fully up to speed with the Bristol City squad of players.

And it will probably take a couple of games to sense the mood at Ashton Gate – and what the atmosphere will be like on Easter Monday against Sheffield United following the reaction to the dismissal of Gerhard Struber.

Hodgson has faced far more pressure in his career than this – and while his appointment is not really the story, a few wins would help reduce the general temperature around the club at the moment.

A hugely respected and authoritative figure, he is a pragmatist and an organiser who will hope to restore some order to a team that has been in worrying decline for a number of months now.

But, equally, there is a sense of irrelevance about the remaining games, given they should have enough points in the bag to avoid being sucked towards the relegation zone.

Rather it is off the pitch where the focus lies. Who will the club appoint as sporting director? Who in turn they appoint to lead the team into the 2026-27 season? And what's going through the mind of owner Steve Lansdown at this particular time?

Only when those questions are answered can Bristol City start looking forward to what they hope will be better and calmer times ahead.

What is the motivation for Sheffield United?

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Sheffield United have averaged 1.47 points per game under Chris Wilder this season which, over the full 39 games, would have them ninth on 57 points

Andy Giddings, BBC Radio Sheffield

Sheffield United cannot wait to get started. The summer, that is. The remaining seven games are only really about pride, points, and a more respectable league placing.

The Blades have fought hard not to be deep in a relegation battle at this stage, but they have never been consistent enough to make a genuine play-off challenge.

So most supporters will be left wondering what might have been possible were it not for the sacking of manager Chris Wilder, a poor summer recruitment strategy, and a pre-season that led to early fatigue – both mental and physical.

Currently, Sheffield United, to quote Wilder, "find ways to lose" so addressing that is vitally important for culture of the club because many of the squad will still be at Bramall Lane next season.

However, most Blades fans are talking about the future; how will recruitment be impacted now that there will be no parachute payments? Who can the Blades afford to see leave, and at what price, and who can they not?

It is believed the Blades are not financially weak; the resistance to a £5m-plus bid for Andre Brooks in January is evidence of that, but there is no doubt after the publication of the latest accounts this week is that there is a greater responsibility on owners COH to fund player incomings, to avoid significant losses.

So it seems likely at least one, possibly more, of the key assets will be sold, all the while the expectation will be that come this time next year they are challenging to go up.

Will Charlton find the necessary spark in attack?

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Nathan Jones won promotion to the Championship with victory in the League One play-offs last season

Chris Peddy, BBC Sport England, London & South East

First and foremost, Charlton need to cement their place in the Championship next year.

Having won promotion through the League One play-offs last year, Nathan Jones' side have accrued a healthy total of 48 points from 39 games despite a near constant battle with injuries to key players.

The Addicks' success has been built on a solid defence, as Stoke (43) are the only side outside of the top four to have conceded fewer than their 46 this season.

But it has been at the other end of the pitch where Jones has struggled to get a tune out of his players - only already-relegated Sheffield Wednesday (24) have found the target fewer times than their 36 goals.

Midfielder Sonny Carey is the club's top scorer with eight Championship goals, while striker Charlie Kelman has six. No-one else in the squad has more than three.

With 48 points, Charlton are nine points and four places clear of Leicester City and Oxford United in the relegation zone.

They face Bristol City (H), Watford (A), Preston North End (H) and Sheffield Wednesday (A) in their next four games and two wins should be enough to secure survival.

Peterborough United are the only team ever to have been relegated from the second tier with 54 points, in 2012-13, since the introduction of three points for a win in 1981-82, while seven teams have gone down with a total of 51 points or more.

Beat Bristol City in Roy Hodgson's first game in charge on Friday and Jones' focus can begin to shift to how he might experiment in the last six matches to get more out of his frontline ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Can Michael O'Neill draw the best out of Todd Cantwell to save Blackburn's season?

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Todd Cantwell has been restricted to just 19 league starts for Blackburn

Andy Bayes, BBC Radio Lancashire

With Blackburn Rovers' lack of numbers in the forward positions, Todd Cantwell could end up with a role that really suits him.

Michael O'Neill is understandably reluctant to play Matty Jorgensen and Yuki Ohashi as a front two because he hasn't got any other senior options to turn to should another injury strike.

He's employed the 'two number 10s' system over the past two games against two of the top three, and it has garnered four points. I do not see that changing.

O'Neill told me prior to the international break that he hasn't seen enough of Cantwell on the training pitch or in matches to know exactly where he will give maximum benefit to the team.

For me, he is someone Rovers can give the ball to and expect him to keep it and create.

He will be frustrated that injuries have curtailed his season twice so far, but Cantwell leading the team for the final seven matches could make the difference.

Could survival persuade James Morrison to take the West Brom job on a permanent basis?

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James Morrison made 341 appearances for West Brom as a player from 2007-2019

Steve Hermon, BBC Radio WM

James Morrison might be softly spoken, but that should not be mistaken for a man who is not comfortable in the top job.

Beneath the laid‑back demeanour lies a steely determination and a will to win. You do not make more than 300 Premier League appearances and earn almost 50 international caps without that internal drive to succeed.

'Mozza' has brought that mentality into his third spell as interim boss and shown he is willing to make big calls.

He was not afraid to publicly call out players after a damaging defeat at Oxford, and after recognising their frailties, moved to a simpler 4‑4‑2 formation.

The 39-year-old has also leaned on the experience of former manager Tony Pulis and quickly saw the need for extra coaching support.

Since the arrival of ex-Southampton assistant Matt Gill, Albion have taken eight points from 12, and Morrison has helped reconnect the team with the fanbase - something fractured during the reigns of Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay.

The increased workload will have been the biggest adjustment for Morrison, both professionally and personally, but he appears to have handled it well. And once you have had a prolonged spell as the main man, it would be difficult to go back to taking orders from another head coach.

If the results keep coming, he will surely fancy the job full‑time, and ultimately if he does keep West Bromwich Albion in the Championship, the club would be foolish not to consider it.

Can John Mousinho find the answers to his toughest challenge yet?

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John Mousinho is the third-longest serving manager in the Championship

Andrew Moon, BBC Radio Solent

I am always surprised John Mousinho's name hardly gets mentioned for other jobs in the Championship.

Yes, he has rejected a couple of moves away but in three-and-a-half years at Portsmouth he's been hugely impressive.

He took a side that had gone three seasons without making the League One play-offs and won the division with a play-off calibre budget.

Three months into the club's return to the Championship things were a mess. The team were rooted in the relegation zone and appearing to lack sufficient quality. They changed style and stayed up with two games to go despite having one of the lowest budgets.

Portsmouth are currently outside the relegation zone but this feels like his greatest challenge. His team are in freefall.

They've taken one point from six matches. They are struggling to score goals. They have not kept a clean sheet in 10 matches. Their best player this year, Ebou Adams, has sustained a knee injury.

Mousinho has made a few errors himself in recent weeks. Most notably swapping Adams and John Swift at QPR. It was a disaster.

There are no obvious answers. Form has drained away from players. Confidence is low. His side are far too easy to beat.

The budget is very small. Survival again would represent a huge achievement. How Pompey move forward as a club can and will be debated all summer.

But right now there's nothing the owners can do.

Mousinho has eight games to turn the ship around. He has overcome the odds before, can he pull another rabbit out of the hat?

How will Leicester end what has been a historic era?

Image caption,

Only Sheffield Wednesday (79) and QPR (61) have conceded more goals this season than Leicester (60)

Owynn Palmer-Atkin, BBC Radio Leicester

Ten years ago Leicester City were well en route to the Premier League title.

Five years ago, they were months away from their first ever FA Cup triumph.

A squad filled to the brim with established Premier League talent that was competing in both the top flight and in Europe.

Now though, they are staring at the very real threat of relegation to League One for just the second time in the club's history.

It would mark the end of historic cycle for the Foxes, a complete tear down of their squad, goals and ambitions.

Survival is key, with parachute payments running out and plenty of first-team players out of contract.

You could make a reasonable argument that this summer is the last chance to rebuild a squad capable on bouncing back to the Premier League.

Relegation however, would have a serious financial impact on the club - a one that would take a hit on their short to mid-term goals.

The past 10 years have been historic for Leicester City, for so many different reasons. The next five weeks are critical in making sure that a form of that legacy can continue.

Odds on to go down, why are Oxford United so calm?

Image caption,

Oxford's 10 points from their past six games places them eighth in the Championship form table, higher than every other team in the bottom half of the league

Jerome Sale, BBC Radio Oxford

Here we are again. Oxford United being written off. "They're down". 8/15 to be relegated with the bookmakers. Opta say there's a 63% chance they will be playing League One football next season.

And yet going into the final seven games, it is a calmer club than at any other time this season.

They faltered at the start, and when seasoned Championship firefighter Gary Rowett could not douse the flames he was gone before Christmas.

Matt Bloomfield took over and United immediately squandered some big chances to pick up big points. For many then, if not before, the writing was on the wall. They faced their fears.

But quietly under Bloomfield, Oxford have been producing survival form. Not yet good enough to lift them out of the relegation zone for more than a few hours here and there - but a month ago they were six points adrift of safety. The gap is now one point.

Can that trend continue? Bloomfield must conquer any demons he has from the final day relegation with Luton in 2025 for a start, but many of the team he has inherited have knowhow from Oxford's successful fight against relegation last season and he seems at ease with his coaching staff.

Oxford are a club that has a clearly defined long term goal - a new home in 2028, leading to sustainability in the Championship.

Most know there will be bumps on that road, even a backward step maybe, but they are sure of the overall direction of travel.

Oxford believe they can stay up and, of course, they really want to stay up. However, in the context I have described, they do not absolutely need to stay up - and that dials down the pressure when it is being cranked up elsewhere.

Are there any positives in sight for Sheffield Wednesday after the worst season in English football history?

Image caption,

It has been over six months since Sheffield Wednesday fans last saw their team win a game

Adam Oxley, BBC Radio Sheffield

Sheffield Wednesday's inevitable relegation to League One was confirmed in February at Steel City rivals Sheffield United after a nightmare 12 months.

On the pitch, the Owls still need six points to end this season on zero after the end of Dejphon Chansiri's decade as chairman brought administration and multiple punishments.

And while long-suffering players, staff and supporters would love to see only a second league win of a miserable campaign in their last seven fixtures, the main focus for everyone at Hillsborough is the future of the football club and how further penalties could impact next season.

American private equity company Arise Capital Partners is currently being scrutinised as the second preferred bidder to takeover at Sheffield Wednesday but their offer would not meet the EFL's requirement to repay creditors 25p in the pound.

It has led to ongoing discussions between Arise, the EFL, the Independent Football Regulator and the club's administrators over potential sanctions for the 2026-27 campaign including a new 15-point deduction, a budget limit and a wage limit, in addition to the existing transfer window fee restriction to the end of winter 2027.

There were concerns that Arise could withdraw from the process but those fears were allayed by consortium lead David Storch on X last week when he cited "productive conversations" before flying to the UK this week for a wide range of meetings to "hit the ground running".

Realistically, results do not matter at this stage, but there is arguably more at stake for Sheffield Wednesday over the next month or two than any other club in English football.