Dan Sweeney really should have put the visitors ahead.

The defender is back in the side today and he times his run into the box nicely after a long throw from the right is flicked on, he takes the ball under his spell but can only then lash over Arthur Okonkwo's crossbar from only eight yards out.

Michael Duff has made four changes to the Terriers side that went down rather meekly 1-0 at home to Bolton on Saturday.

Ruben Roosken, Lasse Sorensen and Herbie Kane are recalled, while Callum Marshall starts up front after making an impact off the bench on Saturday.

Ben Wiles misses out through injury and there’s no Joe Taylor either, while Ollie Turton and Radinio Balker drop to the bench.

Blues boss Chris Davies has made two changes from the side that came back to draw 1-1 at Wrexham last Thursday.

Scott Wright and Alfie May drop to the bench with Tomoki Iwata returning to midfield and Keshi Anderson handed a start after impressing off the bench at the Stok Cae Ras.

No question of what is the game of the week in the EFL.

Leaders Birmingham City head to the John Smith’s for tonight's late kick-off seeking to extend their unbeaten run to 16, against a side who had their own 16-match unbeaten run ended by Bolton on Saturday lunchtime.

Michael Duff’s men were booed off by their own fans, but the Terriers faithful might be pleased to hear they have gone seven unbeaten against Birmingham at home in the league, dating back to a 1-0 defeat in December 2014.

Blues did win 1-0 in the reverse fixture in October and another victory tonight would take them 12 clear of Town, having played a game fewer.

They’re on their longest unbeaten stretch in more than 25 years, but need be wary of the fact Huddersfield have won four straight midweek games – the last time they did that they were promoted to the Premier League in 2017.

Image source, Rex Features

The home side trying to put some pressure on the Stevenage defence, which is the best away defence in the division, conceding only eight goals on the road all season (they have also only scored four, it's worth mentioning).

Tom O'Connor has curled in a couple of superb corners which have caused havoc in the Boro defence, Murphy Cooper having to claw one away and another almost going in off defender Carl Piergianni.

Early touch for Boro keeper Murphy Cooper who gets down low to hold an effort from Elliot Lee, which took a big deflection off a Stevenage defender on its way through the area.

An early warning for Barnsley.

Donovan Pines makes a mess of a through ball but Daniel Udoh from a narrow angle lifts the ball over.

Great ball over the top from Cameron Humphreys.

Lots to keep an eye on tonight.

We are under way in all but one of tonight's games.

Not the nicest night for football, but January will be in the rear view window for all of these sides after tonight.

Kick-off is moments away...

Image source, BBC Sport

Crewe Alexandra have three new faces in their starting line-up following their surprise 1-0 defeat at home to Accrington Stanley on Saturday.

DefenderConnor O'Riordan makes his first start since rejoining on loan from Championship club Blackburn Rovers a week ago, with former Tottenham winger Shilow Tracey and midfielder Joel Tabiner also in their side.

Chris Long, Max Sanders and Jack Powell make way as Lee Bell's team look to return to winning ways at the Mornflake Stadium, where they had gone 11 unbeaten before Stanley shocked them.

Image source, BBC Sport

AFC Wimbledon make four changes from their 0-0 draw at MK Dons on the same day, bringing in defender Isaac Ogundere, Hull City loanee James Furlong on the left and 19-year-old former Norway youth international Aron Sasu in attack.

Midfielder Marcus Browne, who joined until the end of the season two weeks ago, last started a game while he was with former club Oxford United in April 2024 - and that had been his first start since August 2023.

Omar Bugiel, James Tilley and Josh Kelly drop to the bench, while Sam Hutchinson, who started in defence, is not in the squad.

Pete Wild has handed Fleetwood academy graduate Harrison Neal his full debut among five changes from the side beaten 2-1 at home by rock-bottom Carlisle on Saturday.

There are recalls for Ryan Graydon, Mackenzie Hunt, Kian Harratt and Shaun Rooney with Phoenix Patterson and Matthew Virtue dropping to the bench and Ronan Coughlin, Rhys Bennett and Ryan Broom missing out.

Mat Sadler makes two changes to the Walsall side beaten convincingly at Bradford on Saturday.

There’s a first start in attack for Man United loanee Ethan Wheatley, who replaced the injured Jamille Matt, while Jamie Jellis returns in midfield, with Charlie Lakin dropping to the bench.

Image source, Opta

Bolton Wanderers make two changes from the side which won at Huddersfield on Saturday.

Josh Dacres-Cogley and Klaidi Lolos drop to the bench with Jordi Osei-Tutu and Josh Sheehan getting starts.

As for Northampton Town, they also make two alterations after their weekend draw at Wycombe.

Max Dyche and Will Hondermarck come into the starting line-up with Jordan Willis and Tom Eaves among the substitutes.

Image source, Opta

Phil Parkinson has named an unchanged Wrexham XI from the one which drew 1-1 with Birmingham five nights ago.

New arrival Ryan Longman is named on the Red Dragons bench.

Alex Revell has made four changes from the Boro side which snatched a last-gasp 1-0 win at Barnsley on Saturday – keeping their sixth straight away clean sheet in all competitions and seventh in 11 league one games on their travels.

Dan Sweeney, Louis Appere, Kane Smith and Eli King come in with Charlie Goode, Harvey White and Jake Young dropping to the bench though Luther WIldin misses out entirely.

Image source, Opta

There are six changes for Wycombe Wanderers from the side held 0-0 by Northampton at the weekend.

Captain Jack Grimmer and leading scorer Richard Kone return with Daniel Udoh, Tyreeq Bakinson, Declan Skura and Fred Onyedinma also starting.

Joe Low and Daniel Harvie are out injured while Garath McCleary, Gideon Kodua and Beryly Lubala are on the bench. There's no place for Brandon Hanlan.

Barnsley boss Darrell Clarke makes four changes with Conor McCarthy, Kelechi Nwakali and Adam Phillips on the bench and no place at all for Neil Farrugia.

Jon Russell, Donovan Pines, Georgie Gent and Stephen Humphrys get the nod to start.

Image source, Opta

Image source, Rex Features

After a rather strange Saturday when none of the top five sides in League Two won, leaders Walsall will seek to get back to winning ways at Fleetwood tonight.

The Saddlers were humbled 3-0 at Bradford on Saturday, only their fourth defeat of the season, and now face a side who sit 15th but inflicted their biggest defeat, a 6-2 romp at the Poundland, back in October.

Pete Wild’s men had won three of their previous five before being pipped by visiting Carlisle on Saturday, and have taken seven points from Walsall’s past three visits to the seaside, allowing a single goal in the process.

Mat Sadler’s side are however on their best floodlit run in more than 11 years and are seeking a fourth straight midweek win.

If they get it, they could extend their lead at the top to 15 points this evening...

Image source, Rex Features

AFC Wimbledon will be in the top three if they earn their first-ever EFL win at Crewe at the sixth attempt, while Johnnie Jackson's side are guaranteed to stay in the play-off places if a fifth successive meeting between the teams ends all square.

Jackson's squad have made their way to the Mornflake Stadium by train and are hoping to keep their promotion push on track after extending their unbeaten run to five matches with a 0-0 draw at MK Dons on Saturday.

Crewe are second despite their own five-match run without defeat ending with a 1-0 home loss to Accrington, although manager Lee Bell was given a boost when Kane Hemmings (pictured) returned from the bench after nearly four months out with a broken foot.

“We’ve put ourselves in an excellent position and it would be a shame to not capitalise on it," says Hemmings, who scored his first three goals of the season in the four matches before the centre-forward suffered his injury.

Image source, Rex Features/Getty Images

Northampton Town boss Kevin Nolan returns to the scene of former glories where he made more than 300 appearances for Bolton Wanderers, scoring 50 goals.

But these two sides have more than Nolan family pride at stake tonight.

Bolton began life without Ian Evatt by doing what 16 League One sides before them had failed do in beating Huddersfield Town.

Sitting four points outside the play-offs at the time of his departure makes Evatt's exit seem a little harsh, but expectations are high at the Toughsheet Community Stadium and two wins from nine league games wasn't cutting it.

Interim boss Julian Darby is in charge once again tonight and believes the new incumbent will be taking on a great job.

"It's not the worst place to be in at the minute. There's everything to play for. There's a long way to go in the season," he told BBC Radio Manchester.

The main issue for Bolton is they have the worst defensive record in the top 10 - tonight's opponents Northampton have only conceded one more goal than the Trotters.

And so to the Cobblers, who appointed Nolan two days before Christmas and even though previous boss Jon Brady's resignation came as a shock the 'new manager bounce' hasn't materialised with one win from six games leaving them six points clear of trouble.

Only Stevenage have scored fewer League One goals than Northampton so far this season, and if Nolan can keep them clear of trouble his stock might be as high at Sixfields as it is at Bolton.