Owain Tudur Jones
Former Swansea City and Wales midfielder on BBC Radio Cymru

The Swansea fans will be hoping they're (Harry Darling and Ben Cabango) both fit to play the 90 minutes.

That was the concern coming into the game, but they're both here and they're both fit.

On the whole this season, Swansea's defence has been strong and they've been a good unit.

That'll be the hope again for today.

Image source, Opta

Cardiff boss Omer Riza has made three changes to the side which started Tuesday's draw with Watford, with captain Joe Ralls, winger Ollie Tanner and forward Callum Robinson recalled.

The return of Robinson after a three-match ban is a huge boost for the Bluebirds. Rubin Colwill, Chris Willock and Perry Ng drop the bench.

There is good news for Swansea too, with centre-backs Ben Cabango and Harry Darling passed fit to start after injury issues.

Cabango replaces Cyrus Christie in the team which started Swansea's most recent league game, the draw with West Brom a fortnight ago, while veteran midfielder Joe Allen replaces striker Zan Vipotnik.

That means Liam Cullen, who has been playing as an attacking midfielder of late, is likely to lead the line.

Image source, Opta

Just one change for Plymouth to the team that drew with Oxford United during the week but it's an interesting one, Ryan Hardie comes into the side up top in place of defender Brandon Galloway, suggesting a change of shape to four at the back.

Marti Cifuentes, meanwhile, makes a whole host of changes to the QPR side well beaten at Premier League Leicester in the FA Cup last weekend.

Just new signing Ronnie Edwards remains in the back five, with first choice keeper Paul Nardi, Jimmy Dunne, Morgan Fox and Kenneth Paal all returning.

Paul Smyth, Kieran Morgan, Ilias Chair and Michael Frey all return to form a completely different front four to the one that faced the Foxes.

It is broadly the same team that beat Luton in the Hoops' last Championship run-out, with Edwards for Harrison Ashby the only alteration to the side that inflicted Rob Edwards' final defeat as Hatters boss.

Image source, Opta

Millwall boss Alex Neil makes three changes from the side that beat Dagenham and Redbridge 3-0 in the FA Cup third round last weekend.

Duncan Watmore and George Saville come in, while 19-year-old Liverpool loanee Calum Scanlon is making his first start for the club, having featured just once from the bench against Luton in September..

Billy Mitchell is among the subs, but Femi Azeez is not in the squad after he limped off against Dagenham, while Adam Mayor also misses out.

Ruben Selles also makes three changes for Hull City following their shock cup exit on penalties at home to Doncaster last Sunday.

Skipper Lewie Coyle returns to the side, as well as Alfie Jones and Mason Burstow. Cody Drameh and Harry Vaughan drop to the bench but Ryan Giles is not in the squad.

Veteran winger Nordin Amrabat is straight into the squad after signing for the Tigers until the end of the season yesterday, as does Leeds loanee Joe Gelhardt.

Image source, Opta

Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales at Cardiff City Stadium

Image source, Rex Features

How’s this for a stat?

Matt Grimes has captained Swansea to a club record of seven victories in south Wales derbies, with a 64% win ratio in the fixture.

For context, Cardiff have won seven league derbies in total since 1990.

You might not be surprised to hear that stat came from the Swans’ official X account, but it does underline their recent dominance of this fixture.

Midfielder Grimes starts again today, having played every single minute of the previous 11 south Wales derbies.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Swansea City produced an abject display in the most recent south Wales derby played at the Cardiff City Stadium, when Michael Duff's side were beaten 2-0 thanks to goals from Ollie Tanner and Aaron Ramsey in September 2023.

While the Bluebirds are hoping for something similar today, it is Swansea who have had the upper hand in this fixture in recent years.

The Swans have won five of the past seven games against their rivals, with the most recent victory coming on their ground last March.

But Luke Williams' side were left frustrated after this season's derby on their ground, when Swansea took control in the first half - and led through Liam Cullen - only to be pegged back by Callum Robinson's late equaliser.

Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales at Cardiff City Stadium

Hundreds - perhaps a thousand or more - Cardiff fans have been marching to the stadium in protest against the club’s owners.

There have been blue flares as well as chants and banners calling for owner Vincent Tan to leave.

There's always a febrile atmosphere at south Wales derbies, and this is adding fuel to the fire.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

It is derby day in south Wales, with Cardiff City hosting arch rivals Swansea City.

Cardiff are in greater need of points, with Omer Riza's side hovering above the relegation zone having won only one of their last 13 Championship games.

Swansea need a result too, with Luke Williams hoping to inspire his mid-table team to mount a play-off push in what remains of the season.

But in truth, league positions count for little when these two clubs come together.

The motivation for both clubs this afternoon is to deliver a result in the game which matters most to their fans.

Image source, Getty Images

Miron Muslic will be looking for his first win as Plymouth boss when his side welcome Queens Park Rangers to Home Park.

The Pilgrims drew 1-1 with Oxford United in his first game in charge and face a tricky test against a Hoops team that have are undefeated in three Championships games and have very much been on an upward trajectory.

Marti Cifuentes has been boosted by contract renewals for young stars Kieran Morgan, Alfie Lloyd and Rayan Kolli this week and Michael Frey's return from injury up top has brought two goals in two starts.

Bottom-of-the-table Argyle are in desperate need of a win but have lost just one of their past 14 league games against the Rs, and Rangers are winless in their past eight visits to Home Park.

Image source, Getty Images

Two months ago, Millwall were in the play-off spots and very much in the conversation to compete for promotion.

Since then, a lot has changed. Neil Harris left his role as head coach and has been replaced by Alex Neil, while Romain Esse has completed a move to Crystal Palace.

The Lions have also gone on a run of just one win in 11 games (D5 L5), which has seen them slip to 14th, 11 points off the top six.

They welcome a Hull City side to The Den who have improved since Ruben Selles took over as boss.

The Tigers have picked up eight points from Selles' first seven games (W2 D2 L3), including a dramatic 3-3 draw with Leeds last time out in the Championship, compared to just three points from their previous 11 matches.

But Hull still remain in a relegation scrap, though they could climb out the bottom three today, depending on results elsewhere.

Image source, Getty Images

Millwall fans, the saga is over. Romain Esse is a Crystal Palace player.

The 19-year-old completed his move to Selhurst Park earlier today on a five-and-a-half-year deal until 2030.

The fee is reported to be £12m, rising to £14.5m with potential add-ons, after the Lions confirmed Esse's release clause had been met for a club record sale.

"I'm very excited to be here. It's a good project and a good opportunity, so I just can't wait to get started," Esse told the Palace website., external

Full story here.

Burnley's goalless draw with Sunderland last night means the door has been left ajar for Sheffield United to finish the day top of the Championship if they win at home to Norwich this afternoon, with Leeds not playing until Sunday.

Play-off contenders from fifth to ninth are in action today, while every side in the bottom half will have a chance to improve their situation.

Expect there to be yet more twists and turns - and movement in the table again.

Image source, Rex Features

Just the small matter of the south Wales derby to whet the appetite this Saturday lunchtime, as well as two other crucial games at the bottom of the Championship at 12:30 GMT.

We then have seven more games coming at 15:00 GMT. Not bad, eh. Here's a look at today's schedule:

• Cardiff v Swansea (12:30 GMT)
• Millwall v Hull City (12:30)
• Plymouth v QPR (12:30)
• Coventry v Bristol City
• Derby v Watford
• Luton v Preston
• Oxford v Blackburn
• Portsmouth v Middlesbrough
• Sheffield United v Norwich
• West Brom v Stoke

Image source, Rex Features

The Championship weekend got going in typically bonkers fashion at Turf Moor last night.

Promotion-chasers and Sunderland played out a 0-0 draw but it wasn't without entertainment.

Clarets keeper James Trafford made TWO penalty saves from Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor in the space of 10 minutes in the closing stages to preserve their unbeaten home record this season.

Read all about a night of high drama here.

Image source, Getty Images

Good afternoon and welcome along to Saturday's live Championship coverage.

We're past the halfway stage of the season now and things feel like they're slowly starting to hot up.

It's nail-bitingly tight in the race for automatic promotion and the play-off spots, while the battle for survival is still too close to call.

That means every single point is crucial and we've got a big day ahead, particularly in Wales.

Let's get going...