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Leaders Sheffield United go to Walsall this afternoon, looking for a seventh league win in a row. Meanwhile Scunthorpe - four points behind - go to Northampton.

Play-off chasers Fleetwood and Bristol Rovers are separated by just a point before this afternoon's meeting, while Rochdale, Bradford and Bolton put their unbeaten records on the line against Southend, Shrewsbury and Swindon respectively.

At the other end of the table, the returning John Sheridan picks up the managerial reins with former club Oldham, who take on Gillingham.

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Just four points separate Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday in the play-off places, giving today's Yorkshire derby a bit of added spice, if it even needed any.

Funny phrase "added spice", isn't it? What spices are we adding? Cumin? Turmeric? Nahki Wells?

The Huddersfield striker (Wells, not Turmeric) has score four goals in his last six matches, helping them in a run of six wins from seven.

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For me, the job that Carlos Carvalhal has done at Sheffield Wednesday is probably one of the most underrated in the Championship.

After seemingly endless years outside the top flight, the Owls are on a real upward trajectory, and after losing in the play-off final last season are sixth in the table.

New striker Sam Winnall might also be hoping to make his mark today from the bench against Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield, another side hoping for the Premier League next term.

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Norwich City are having a strange season. 

After beginning the term like a proverbial train, Alex Neil was under serious pressure from fans around Christmas time.

But, the Canaries are just five points outside the play-off places, a gap they can easily make up if they find their early season form again. They would probably see today's trip to bottom club Rotherham as a real chance to close that gap.

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3 December: Caretaker manager Paul Warne says he has no interest in full-time Rotherham United job.

13 January: Paul Warne named Rotherham boss until the end of the season.

The former Millers midfielder's career has probably taken a different course than he anticipated, having taken charge after Kenny Jackett's resignation after five matches.

But with the club bottom of the Championship and 12 points from safety, Warne has quite a job on his hands to keep Rotherham in the second tier. If he does it, he'll probably get the freedom of the town.

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With at least one game in hand over their promotion contenders, leaders Brighton are looking on for promotion to the Premier League under Chris Hughton.

Nothing is ever certain in football, least of all the Championship, but avoid defeat today and the Seagulls will be 19 matches unbeaten.

In their way are a Preston side who pride themselves on working hard and being particularly difficult to break down but have threat going forward, particularly in Callum Robinson.

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Preston North End came so close to upsetting Arsenal last weekend in the FA Cup, but a late Olivier Giroud goal gave the Premier League side victory, having gone behind early in the game.

Simon Grayson's Preston have taken a lot of plaudits since that game, including the man above, Ben Pearson.

Preston will be without the suspended workhorse (whatever that means) midfielder against Championship leaders Brighton's obvious threat. Will that have a detrimental affect?

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In every transfer window there are a couple of names that just keep popping up linked with a move.

This January, one of those names has been Brentford striker Scott Hogan, seemingly a target for Premier League side West Ham.

The 24-year-old has 14 goals in 26 Bees appearances this campaign for a side that have scored the highest proportion of goals from open play in the Championship this season.

Now there's a stat you didn't think you'd ever find out...

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It seems like in almost every one of these EFL live texts we've discussed how well Rafa Benitez is doing as Newcastle United manager, so some of you may be getting sick of it by now.

However, his side have seemingly adapted like a duck to water in the Championship after relegation last term and are second in the table.

But two defeats in their last three league matches have pinned back their wings slightly going into today's game with Brentford.

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Today marks the start of a new era for Barnsley, one without striker Sam Winnall, following their top scorer's move to South Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

Paul Heckingbottom's side, eighth in the table, travel to a side two points and two places below them, in Fulham today.

Slavisa Jokanovic's side's form has been inconsistent to say the least, unable to put a run of successive wins, defeats or draws together since the start of November.

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Mick McCarthy's side face a Blackburn side who in their last game out defeated Newcastle United for the second time this season.

Still, though, Owen Coyle's Rovers find themselves in the relegation zone, but only a point away from Burton Albion in the "safety" of 21st place.

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If consistency is what you like, you wouldn't want to be an Ipswich fan.

Only once in the league this season have Ipswich Town had the same result - win, loss or draw - twice in a row and that came all the way back in mid-August.

After being held to a draw at home against non-league Lincoln City in the FA Cup, Ipswich will almost certainly be wanting to give their somewhat fans beleaguered fans something to cheer.

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Six-pointer.

One of my least favourite football cliches but it potentially does justice to the match with huge potential ramifications at the bottom of the Championship today.

Burton, in their first ever season in the second tier, are just outside the drop zone, which Wigan currently occupy.

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Since Gianfranco Zola replaced Gary Rowett at the helm of Birmingham City, Blues have failed to win a single match, losing three and drawing two.

But last time out in the FA Cup, Zola's side drew against Championship high-flyers Newcastle United and will (cliche time) hope to take some of that confidence into a match against a Nottingham Forest side seemingly bereft of confidence.

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On the pitch things aren't looking much better for Forest.

Six losses from their last seven games have left them swinging their arms in the scrap to avoid relegation to League One, a place they spent three seasons in between 2005 and 2008 and not one any of the fans want to go back to.

Manager Philippe Montanier's position is as precarious as they come right now. What can his side do today against Birmingham City?

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We'll start with the enigma that is Nottingham Forest.

After months of seemingly being set for a £50m takeover by an American consortium, last night the news broke it had all fallen through and Fawaz Al Hasawi remains as owner for now.

It's fair to say many fans of the two-time European champions were looking forward to the end of the Al Hasawi regime, with the club currently just two points above the Championship relegation zone and under a transfer embargo due to a delay in submitting audited accounts.

The future remains uncertain for now.

Thanks very much, Brendon. You're not too shabby yourself.

Shall we get down to business? All you need to know about our 15:00 GMT kick offs across the EFL coming right up...

Right then, I make that one EFL match down 33 to go!

There's plenty of action still to come across the Championship and Leagues One and Two from 15:00 GMT, so let's spend the next wee while building up to those matches

We'll have previews and team news coming up in the next 50 minutes or so courtesy of the fabulous Phil Shepka and Matt Newsum.

But for Neil Warnock's side? Undoubtedly another massive boost after their eye-catching victory over Aston Villa in their last Championship match.

The Bluebirds leapfrog the Robins in the league table too, moving up to 17th and pulling a six-point gap on the relegation places.

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I speculated earlier about what this result might do for Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson's future, with his side now having lost a club record-equalling seven league matches in a row.

A famous 6-0 home thumping by Cardiff City, in many respects, actually signaled the beginning of the end to his father Gary Johnson's stint in charge of the Robins in 2010.

Will a Severnside derby defeat again haunt the Johnson family? The manner of the loss won't help, that's for sure.