Five things to look out for in EFL as Wrexham aim to get moving

Six teams are yet to score points in the Championship: Wrexham, Oxford United, Blackburn Rovers, Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United

From teams still in the pursuit of perfection to sides battling just to get points on the board, the early weeks of the English Football League are starting to heat up.

Wrexham and Sheffield Wednesday will meet with both sides hoping to avoid a third straight Championship defeat, while Stevenage and Crewe Alexandra face stiff tests on the road if they are to maintain their 100% records in League One and Two.

At the same time, Home Park hosts a showdown of two bosses under early pressure in Tom Cleverley and Steve Bruce, while a familiar face returns to Birmingham.

Here are five things to keep an eye on this weekend.

Wrexham not just here to 'enjoy the ride'

Conor Coady previously won Championship titles with Wolves and Leicester City and is aiming for more success after joining Wrexham

Wrexham were hoping their entrance into the Championship would go as smoothly as their arrival in Leagues One and Two over the past two seasons, but they have endured a frustrating start with a last-gasp loss at Southampton and a home defeat by West Brom.

Could it be third time lucky? The Red Dragons welcome Sheffield Wednesday to the Stok Cae Ras on Saturday (15:00 BST), a side whose turmoil feels all-consuming and are also yet to get their points tally moving.

But despite their financial strife and with a team stripped to the bone, Wednesday have shown plenty of spirit across the past two weeks in defeats by Leicester and Stoke and won't go down without a fight.

"Both clubs will be looking at it thinking this is a big game for both teams, but certainly for us we're looking at it thinking the quicker we can get that win, [the better] to get up and running," new Wrexham defender Conor Coady told The Monday Night Club podcast.

"I don't want it to be, 'Oh, Wrexham are in the Championship, let's just enjoy the ride'."

Oxford boss Rowett makes Blues return

During Gary Rowett's interim second spell as Birmingham City boss, he oversaw three wins out of eight games but could not save the side from relegation

Oxford United boss Gary Rowett has an entangled history with Birmingham City.

As a player, he helped Blues reach the play-offs and in his first season as boss, took the side from 21st to 11th in the Championship before guiding them to seventh the following year... until his unceremonious sacking in December 2016 following a change in ownership at the club.

Rowett did return in 2024 to help cover Tony Mowbray, who had to step away because of ill health, but ended up overseeing their relegation to League One - a position they found themselves in partly as a result of the new owners removing John Eustace to appoint the more high-profile but ultimately less effective Wayne Rooney.

So Rowett, whose own successor Gianfranco Zola also sunk Blues into a relegation battle in 2017, ended both his tenures in charge of Blues on a sour note, neither of which were really his fault.

On Saturday (15:00 BST), he brings his Oxford side to the West Midlands in search of a first point of the season... and, for a change, intent on leaving Birmingham in a worse state than he found them.

Cleverley or Bruce - who can overturn poor start?

Tom Cleverley (left) took charge of Plymouth Argyle after their relegation from the Championship last season, following his departure from Watford

It's only four games into the new season for Blackpool and Plymouth Argyle but it already feels like the pressure is mounting for bosses Steve Bruce and Tom Cleverley to produce some results.

In pre-season, the 64-year-old Bruce said he was aiming for the play-offs but the Tangerines have only managed one win and three points from their opening four league games.

"It becomes a little bit embarrassing," Bruce told BBC Radio Lancashire after their 2-0 defeat by Mansfield Town on Tuesday.

"I've been in it [in the football industry] for a very long time and I don't think I've been involved where we can't defend a simple corner... it's certainly our Achilles heel at the moment."

Argyle's start has been even worse, with not a single point to their name. Only Peterborough United have a similar record in League One, but the Posh weren't a Championship club last season.

Plymouth fans have not been slow to vent their frustration and new boss Cleverley is in desperate need of a positive result, starting with the visit of Bruce's Blackpool.

A perfect 12 - but for how long?

Crewe Alexandra had a convincing 4-1 victory over Fleetwood Town on Tuesday to remain top of League Two

Stevenage and Crewe Alexandra have both made, somewhat unexpectedly, perfect starts to their league campaigns.

With 100% records from four games, they lead Leagues One and Two respectively, but arguably face their toughest tasks so far on Saturday.

Boro travel to face Huddersfield Town, who knocked Leicester City out of the Carabao Cup and have won three of their first four league games.

Meanwhile, Crewe will visit Gillingham, who are unbeaten so far and shocked Chesterfield 4-1 in midweek to knock the Spireites off top spot.

But the Railwaymen, who also gave their midweek opponents - Fleetwood Town - a 4-1 drubbing, feel like they are still to hit top gear.

"We're playing well and playing some good football but we can't rest on that - we need to keep building and keep improving," club captain Mickey Demetriou told BBC Radio Stoke.

The Couhig derby

Rob Couhig (left) owned Wycombe Wanderers during a period where they saw five of the club's six highest league finishes

Reading finally got off the mark in League One on Wednesday as they fought back to claim a point against Bolton Wanderers.

It was a big result for the struggling side against a team touted to do well this season, but they will need to do it again this weekend - in front of a crowd who share a connection with the Royals' new owner, American lawyer Rob Couhig.

The 75-year-old is the former majority shareholder and chairman of Wycombe Wanderers and oversaw the Chairboys' first ever promotion to the Championship in 2020 before leaving the club in 2024.

Adams Park will have fond memories of Couhig's reign, but Wycombe will want to show him what he's missing when his new club visit on Saturday after a lacklustre start to their own campaign which has also yielded a solitary point from four games.

You can follow the entire weekend as it happens here on the BBC Sport website and app, starting with live text coverage of Derby County v Bristol City on Friday 22 August from 19:45 BST.

We will have live text commentary of the Championship, League One and League Two campaigns all season right here on BBC Sport.