Away we go at Elland Road and Home Park in our lunchtime kick-offs.

Major permutations in the race for automatic promotion and relegation battle in play...

It's not a bad day for it in West Yorkshire this lunchtime with the sun beating down. A tad cloudy in Devon.

The teams are out and kick-off is moments away. Heartbeats are just racing that touch faster now...

Image source, Opta

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke makes one change from the 1-0 win at Middlesbrough on Tuesday night.

Wilfried Gnonto comes in on the wing for Dan James, who is not in the squad after suffering a hamstring injury in the victory at the Riverside.

Defender Pascal Struijk has also been ruled out for the season run-in with a foot injury.

Paul Heckingbottom makes two changes to his Preston side which drew 2-2 against Cardiff in midweek.

Jayden Meghoma and Jordan Storey replace Ryan Porteous and Will Keane, who both drop to the bench.

Image source, Opta

Image source, Getty Images

For the past month, it might have looked like Leeds United were going to surrender their stranglehold on an automatic promotion spot.

But an important 1-0 victory at Middlesbrough on Tuesday night got things back on track for the Whites, having picked up just one win in their previous six games before that (D4 L1) to leave the door ajar for Burnley and Sheffield United.

Daniel Farke's side can return to the summit with victory over Preston at Elland Road, where they've lost just once all season and are unbeaten in 17 (W14 D3).

With just one win from their past 10 games (D6 L3), Preston's season has somewhat fizzled out.

The Lilywhites are seven points above the relegation places with five matches to play and boss Paul Heckingbottom will not want to be dragged into that scrap at this late stage.

Plymouth Argyle boss Miron Muslic rolls the changes and there are four alterations from the side that lost to Swansea 3-0 on Wednesday night.

Darko Gyabi and Michael Obafemi drop to the bench while Nikola Katic and Matty Sorinola are injured and absent from the squad altogether.

They are replaced by Victor Palsson, Jordan Houghton, Nathanael Ogbeta and Callum Wright.

Image source, BBC Sport

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder decides to go one better and makes five changes from the side that lost to Millwall on Tuesday night.

Out go Femi Siriki, Hamza Choudhury, Ben Brereton Diaz, Rhian Brewster and Tyrese Campbell.

In come Harry Clarke, Vinicius Souza, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Callum O'Hare and Tom Cannon, who leads the line, while ex-Argyle keeper Michael Cooper continues to start in goal for the Blades.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Rex Features

Sheffield United visit Plymouth Argyle this lunchtime off the back of consecutive league defeats with Chris Wilder's men desperate for three points to keep in touch with the top two.

The Blades, following Burnley's win last night, are now five points off the top and currently sit two points behind Leeds United - who take on Preston at lunchtime in a very winnable looking fixture.

It is United's first visit to Home Park since December 2009 when a late James Harper strike sealed all three points for the Blades, then managed by Kevin Blackwell, in a 1-0 victory.

Plymouth are of course desperate for the points themselves - now five points from safety with just five matches left to play following their dismal showing in the 3-0 defeat at Swansea on Wednesday.

The Pilgrims have picked up three wins in their last six outings at Home Park, however, and a win today would give Miron Muslic's side massive confidence they can pull off the great escape from relegation come 3 May.

Image source, Getty Images

Here's how things look ahead of a day packed with plenty of important fixtures.

Leeds can regain top spot on goal difference if they beat Preston, while Sheffield United would move into the top two if they win at Plymouth and the Whites lose.

Argyle are five points adrift at the bottom and are in desperate need of victory to keep their survival hopes alive.

Not a bad way to start today's action...

Image source, PA Media

Burnley moved top of the Championship with a 2-1 win over Norwich last night to boost their automatic promotion hopes.

Goals from Hannibal and Jaidon Anthony set the Clarets on their way in the first half before Jack Stacey pulled one back for the visitors 15 minutes from time.

Scott Parker's side withstood a late rally by the Canaries to go three points clear at the summit before Leeds play at lunchtime.

The victory means Burnley sit five points clear of Sheffield United in third and will end the weekend in the top two regardless of other results, though the Whites will return top with three points.

Read the match report from that one here.

Image source, Rex Features

There are many battles at play from top to bottom in the Championship.

To help make some sense of it all and read in more detail about who needs what, take a look at this weekend's EFL preview here.

Image source, Rex Features

Here's a look at what's coming up today, starting with two massive games at lunchtime:

• Leeds v Preston (12:30)
• Plymouth v Sheffield United (12:30)
• Cardiff v Stoke
• Luton v Blackburn
• Millwall v Middlesbrough
• Portsmouth v Derby
• QPR v Bristol City
• Sheffield Wednesday v Oxford
• Sunderland v Swansea
• West Bromwich Albion v Watford

Image source, Getty Images

Good afternoon to you all!

It's quite remarkable to think there are now only three weeks of the Championship season remaining.

The play-off battle will of course go on beyond 3 May and there are plenty of games today which will go some way to deciding who finishes in the top six - not to mention the top two and bottom three.

It promises to be another pivotal day in the second tier with the finishing line very much now in sight.

Let's get going...