Championship: Five-way battle for two remaining play-off spots

Coventry City boss Mark Robins has guided his side to fifth place headed into the final day of the season, but can they get over the line to seal one of the two available spots in the Championship play-offs?

With just one game remaining, the Championship's four play-off spots are still to be decided.

Third-placed Luton and Middlesbrough in fourth have wrapped up their places, with fifth and sixth up for grabs.

A close race to the top six has played out as the season has reached its crescendo, with five teams in the mix.

But what teams are still involved and what do they need to get over the line? BBC Sport took a look at how the race could be decided on Monday.

How things stand at the top

Just three points separate Coventry City in fifth with ninth-placed Blackburn Rovers, with goal difference looking like it could be crucial in the five-way battle for the play-offs.

Swansea City are 10th and out of contention for a top-six spot but could affect the standings come the end of the season as they take on West Bromwich Albion on Monday.

None of the five teams still in the mix - Coventry, Millwall, Sunderland, Albion and Blackburn - lost in their most recent game headed into the final day.

But which has the more favourable last fixture and what do they have to do to ensure they will be in the top six come full-time?

5th - Coventry City

Coventry go into the final day with 69 points and are arguably in the most comfortable position.

They take on Middlesbrough, who are already assured of a play-off place, but Michael Carrick's side have lost their past two games.

A draw for Mark Robins' team would be enough to wrap up a play-off place - and a win would mean they meet Boro again.

"There will be investment in the playing staff this summer," Robins told BBC CWR. "But you have to do that at the rate we can go at.

"There isn't going to be a significant shift in the money that I'd get. There would be an uplift, 100 per cent.

"But the biggest change is the stability, and a change in infrastructure.

"Obviously we are in a position now where we will be able to attract some really good players again.

"But the big thing for me is we just focus on Middlesbrough."

Should the Sky Blues beat Middlesbrough on Monday and finish on 72 points, it will be the lowest number of points a fifth-placed team has recorded since Crystal Palace in 2012-13.

That could be a good omen for Coventry - Palace reached the final and won in the Championship play-off final that season and have been in the Premier League ever since.

6th - Millwall

Millwall boss Gary Rowett has won 72 of his 184 games in charge of the Lions

Millwall are a game away from their first Championship play-off appearance since 2001-02 and have done so courtesy of Gary Rowett's astute management, turning them into a reliable second-tier side.

Fellow play-off chasers Blackburn stand in their way of a first top-six finish for more than 20 years and their two-point cushion of Sunderland in seventh gives them some cause for optimism ahead of the visit of Jon Dahl Tomasson's side.

Their slightly inferior goal difference in comparison to Sunderland, however, means the Lions will need to target victory rather than settling for a draw.

"If you look at the last six or seven games, a lot of teams have not quite done enough to be in [the play-offs] already," Rowett told BBC Radio London.

"We have to accept that we've shown a little bit of courage towards the end to put it in our own hands. Other teams have not managed to win their games to put it in our hands.

"And it sounds quite simple. All you've got to do is go and win the last game, but unfortunately you've got another team who are desperately trying to do exactly the same."

7th - Sunderland

Sunderland have strung together an eight-game unbeaten run to come into the end of the season in contention for a spot in the play-offs and a return to the Premier League after six years away.

Tony Mowbray stepped in to take over from Alex Neil earlier this season and has transformed them, but having missed out on the play-offs last season with Blackburn, can he go the extra mile this term?

The Black Cats have been without centre-backs Aji Alese and Dan Ballard as well as forward Ross Stewart, winger Jewison Bennette, and midfielders Corry Evans and Elliot Embleton because of injury in the tail half of the season, but Mowbray has still managed to steer the club into play-off contention.

Ahead of taking on Preston, who fell at the final hurdle themselves, is Mowbray proud of his achievements at the Stadium of Light in such a short space of time?

"I don't take pride in it, the players and staff should take pride in it because they take the game plans onto the pitch," he said.

"I don't need to be proud. I'm proud of the people who work for the football club and make the whole thing work."

8th - West Bromwich Albion

West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan led Huddersfield Town to last season's Championship play-off final - can he repeat the feat with the Baggies this term?

West Brom's win against Norwich at the weekend ended the Canaries' slim chances of reaching the top six but kept themselves in the hat going into the final day of the season.

Of the five-way battle, the Baggies have one of the toughest fixtures to end their campaign as they travel to Swansea, who are in fine form despite falling short of play-off contention.

The Swans have put together an unbeaten run of eight games, during which they have won on six occasions.

"Some parts are very simple; only focus on what you can control and that is how we perform. We have to compete against one team who are playing very good football," Albion boss Carlos Corberan told BBC Radio WM.

"That shows how demanding the game is going to be. We have to prepare in the best way we can."

Should they reach the top six, Albion do not have much second tier play-off pedigree, having been involved in them three times but yet to win promotion.

Will Corberan have an eye on what is happening away from south Wales?

"My full focus is going to be on our game. It's too complicated to think about what is happening [elsewhere] in the last 10 minutes of the game," he added.

"If I receive any type of information, I will adapt, but our full focus needs to be on to win. Thinking we need to win by a certain amount of goals would be disrespectful to Swansea and negative towards our focus to win the game."

9th - Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers have gone eight games without a win in the Championship but can top scorer Ben Brereton Diaz fire them into the play-offs?

Out-of-form Blackburn travel to the capital to face Millwall knowing only a win will do.

Rovers were fifth after their last win - 2-1 against relegated Reading. At that point they had a five-point cushion from seventh place and had won five of their past six league games.

Since then they have been short of points and confidence, slipping to ninth and now having only an outside chance of reaching the play-offs when for much of the season they were in the promotion picture.

But a chastening late equaliser conceded against Lancashire rivals Preston followed by defeat by bitter foes Burnley - who wrapped up the Championship title at Ewood Park - have contributed towards a run of eight games without a win.

"Everyone knows there's a bit of a goal drought and we need goals. It's as simple as going to Millwall and whoever scores, however it comes off, we need a win," midfielder Sam Szmodics told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We're relying on other people now. We know we need to do our job. We could be completely out of it but we've got to take our chance.

"We know what we've got to do and the rest of it can take care of itself."