Image source, Getty Images

There are three games in League One tonight and, with all due respect to the other four teams, Birmingham City against Leyton Orient will take most of the attention.

It is top against sixth, two sides who sit first and second in the current form table and have each taken 22 points from their past 10 games.

Blues are now the only side with an unbeaten home record in League One and if they avoid defeat this evening it will be only the fourth time in their history they will have gone more than 15 games without a home loss.

As for Leyton Orient, at the start of December they were fourth from bottom, 12 points short of sixth-placed Barnsley but fast forward three months and they are now sixth themselves, seven points ahead of the South Yorkshire side - it has been quite a turnaround.

Elsewhere in League One, with three defeats from their past four home games and no home win since Boxing Day, faltering Huddersfield Town will be pleased to be on the road at Wigan Athletic.

Michael Duff's side have won six of their past eight away games in the league and will hope to continue that run at a struggling Latics.

Wigan are the lowest scorers in the division with only 28 goals from their 31 games. The loss of leading scorer Thelo Aasgaard to Luton hasn't helped and with only four points separating them from the relegation zone they still need to watch their step.

Three wins out of four have lifted Northampton Town level on points with Wigan but their direction of travel is on an upward trajectory compared to their opponents Barnsley.

The Tykes' victory at Rotherham on Saturday ended a six-game winless run which has seen them drop seven points behind the play-off race so anything but a victory tonight might be curtains.

Six points clear and with two games in hand, Birmingham City's destiny is very much in their own hands.

Not only will a victory over play-off hunting Leyton Orient tonight tighten their grip on top spot but it'll also increase the gap between Blues and third-placed Wrexham to 12 points.

With a game against Charlton Athletic to come on Saturday, Leyton Orient are looking to put some distance between themselves and their seventh-placed London rivals before their weekend rendezvous.

Barnsley need a win at Northampton to try to push back towards the top six while for the Cobblers it's about keeping the bottom four at arms length just as it is for Wigan who meet a fifth-placed but wobbling Huddersfield side suddenly looking over their shoulders.

Image source, Opta

As feared on the weekend, Cardiff City goalkeeper Jak Alnwick is unfit to start with his hamstring injury and is replaced by Ethan Horvath as part of a much changed side.

Calum Chambers and Callum Robinson both return to the squad and make immediate starts alongside Will Fish, Cian Ashford and Chris Willock.

Joel Bagan and Rubin Colwill are available from the bench but Aaron Ramsey and Will Alves also don't make the trip.

Saturday's red card for Dimitrios Goutas rules him out of tonight's game.

Lincoln makes his first start for Hull City with boss Ruben Selles making two changes.

He is joined by Regan Slater as Steven Alzate moves to the bench.

Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry is missing from the squad with a knee injury.

Image source, Opta

Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales at Cardiff City Stadium

Cardiff City Stadium is a nervous place tonight.

Speaking to Bluebirds fans, club staff and former players, the magnitude of this game against Hull is lost on nobody.

Hull, who are 20th in the Championship, are only one place above Cardiff in the table by virtue of a superior goal difference.

Stoke, who are 19th and two points ahead of Hull, are at home to Middlesbrough in the only other Championship game this evening.

After tonight's fixtures are done, everyone in the league will have played the same amount of matches - each with 14 left this season.

Without wishing to add to the sense of anxiety here, there could be huge ramifications for tonight's results.

Image source, Opta

Million Manhoef and Ben Wilmot return to Stoke's starting XI having recovered from injury as part of their three changes.

Teenager Nathan Lowe joins them after spending the trip to Norwich on the bench, while Junior Tchamadeu and Ben Pearson are available as substitutes.

Ali Al-Hamadi misses out as one of Stoke's seven injured.

Finn Azaz, Marcus Forss and George Edmundson join the Middlesbrough starting XI as they also make three changes.

Delano Burgzorg and Kelechi Iheanacho rotate to the bench but Rav van den Berg doesn't make the trip.

Image source, Opta

Image source, Getty Images

Neighbours on the Championship table but, tonight, each other's greatest foe as Cardiff City and Hull City take each other on to try and put some daylight between themselves and the drop zone.

History indicates this could be a good night for the Tigers, who have won all their past seven games against the Bluebirds including three away games - though they have never won four against the Welsh side on their home soil successively.

However, the Cardiff City Stadium has been a dim light in a bleak period for the Bluebirds in recent times, undefeated in Wales since December after a losing home spell of four games prior.

In truth, it's not been looking good for either side lately and even three added points will only take them to 19th in the table at the most, by no means solid ground.

But it'll give one of the sides a six-point advantage over Plymouth Argyle in 22nd and winning or losing tonight could make all the difference in the fight to stay up.

Image source, Rex Features

Rewind a couple of weeks and you'd have no hesitation in calling Middlesbrough a promotion threat.

Battling in the top six, finding results, highlighting their young talent blossoming under boss Michael Carrick's guidance.

Now, five consecutive losses later, Boro are out of the top 10 and giving themselves a mountain to climb if they are to return to play-off contention.

But four of those losses came against teams in the top nine and today's opponent is the lowest ranked of all, 19th-placed Stoke City.

A result today could reinstate confidence across the club and silence Carrick's doubters.

But a loss... a loss puts Carrick under the microscope, a position he most likely will not relish.

Image source, Opta/Rex Features

Middlesbrough stand to regain a position in the top 10 if they take victory over Stoke City by two or more goals tonight - a result that could possibly reignite play-off hopes.

But if Stoke claim victory, they rise eight points clear of the relegation zone and overtake Oxford United to rise a place.

Meanwhile, Cardiff City and Hull City are neck-and-neck and looking to be on the right side of a separation.

Image source, Rex Features

Hello and welcome to another Tuesday night in the EFL!

Tonight sees lowly sides Cardiff City and Hull City clash in the hope of putting more space between themselves and the Championship's bottom three.

Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick is looking for a result that might ease calls for his departure as his side visit Stoke City.

In League One, surprise promotion hopefuls Leyton Orient take a trip to leaders Birmingham City while League Two's team at the top, Walsall, are also in action at Cheltenham.

And those are just some of the tasty Tuesday night treats we have in store for us this evening.

Stay tuned.