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Three EFL clubs will have caretaker managers at the helm for their matches today after sacking their bosses in the past week.

Stuart McCall lost his job at League One strugglers Scunthorpe on Sunday, about 20 minutes after Yeovil confirmed that Darren Way had left the lowly League Two side.

Then on Tuesday, Chris Powell had his contract terminated by third-tier Southend after an 11-match run without a win.

Image source, Rex Features

There's likely to be a record crowd for an EFL Trophy final tomorrow when Portsmouth face Sunderland in the deciding game of this season's competition.

The two clubs are hoping to clinch some silverware before turning their attentions back to the League One promotion race.

Read BBC Sport's preview of the Checkatrade Trophy final here.

We'll have live text coverage on the BBC Sport website from 14:00 BST on Sunday.

St Mirren's Simeon Jackson showed us exactly how NOT to take a penalty in his side's Scottish Premiership match against St Johnstone earlier this week.

A few weeks ago, we saw Swansea's Bersant Celina fluff a spot-kick at West Bromwich Albion.

Who should they be taking tips from? Who has been the best penalty taker for your club?

Get in touch using #bbcefl on social media.

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West Bromwich Albion's win against Birmingham City leaves them four points adrift of second-placed Sheffield United, who host play-off hopefuls Bristol City today.

Norwich City visit Middlesbrough in another big game at the top this afternoon.

At the other end...

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If results go against them today, Ipswich Town could well have their relegation confirmed within the next couple of weeks.

Rotherham United, Reading and Millwall all face teams in the promotion mix, so Bolton Wanderers may fancy earning themselves a lifeline if they can win at Queens Park Rangers.

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Like the Championship, the Premier League is also back after a two-week break for some international fare.

You can follow live text coverage of this afternoon's top-flight action by clicking here.

Image source, Rex Features

So what's the latest on Bolton Wanderers as they prepare for their must-win game against QPR today? Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin.

Firstly, for the second time in as many months, players and staff have not been paid their salaries despite being told earlier this week that a potential new owner would ensure wages were paid on time.

Meanwhile, as the club approaches Wednesday's deadline to pay a £1.2m tax bill ordered by the High Court, former Watford owner Laurence Bassini is in talks over a takeover of the Championship strugglers.

Bassini was previously given a three-year ban from being involved in a position of authority with any English Football League club in 2013 after being found guilty of misconduct and dishonesty over financial dealings during his time with the Hornets.

As things stand, a takeover of the club is yet to happen, but watch this space. The club risk going into administration if the unpaid tax bill is not settled.

The England manager is in attendance at Villa Park today, watching his former side take on Blackburn.

Is Gareth Southgate just catching up with old friends, or perhaps keeping an eye on Jack Grealish?

So we're not making this up...

A YouTuber sent a burger into space and it landed in the training ground of League Two club Colchester United.

If you've ever wanted to see footage of what fast food looks like from a few thousand feet up in the sky, watch the video below...

BBC Red Button

Dion Dublin and Garth Crooks have joined Jason Mohammad for today's edition of Final Score, which you can watch by clicking on the coverage option at the top of the page or by pressing the red button on your telly box.

Image source, Rex Features

Here's all the significant team news across the Championship fixtures that kick off at 15:00 GMT today:

• Lewis Grabban is back for Nottingham Forest after five games out, while Oli McBurnie returns for Swansea.

• Thibaud Verlinden drops to the bench for Stoke City, while Gary Hooper makes his first start of the season for visiting Sheffield Wednesday.
• Aston Villa name an unchanged side to face Blackburn as they look for a fifth successive win.
• Leeds replace suspended goalkeeper Kiko Casilla with Bailey Peacock-Farrell, while Millwall make three changes for the trip to Elland Road
• Promotion-chasing Sheffield United make just the one change from the side that beat Leeds as Kieran Dowell replaces Martin Cranie to face Bristol City.
• Korey Smith returns for Bristol City for the first time since he picked up a serious knee injury in their defeat by Middlesbrough in August.

Former England winger Nick Barmby has joined the coaching staff at League One Scunthorpe until the end of the season.

The 45-year-old ex-Liverpool player has been brought in by caretaker manager Andy Dawson at Glanford Park after Stuart McCall was sacked on Sunday.

"He's got massive knowledge of the game, I respect him enormously," Dawson told BBC Radio Humberside.

Hull City boss Nigel Adkins is considering a new contract to remain at the Championship club.

The 54-year-old has been in charge of the Tigers since December 2017, but his initial 18-month deal expires at the end of this season.

"This is the first stage - that there has been something offered," he told BBC Radio Humberside. "I am looking at the whole picture of where we are moving as a football club, and I think that is important."

Hull, 12th in the Championship and six points off the play-off places, are at bottom club Ipswich today.

But for a goalkeeping howler by David Martin, Championship strugglers Millwall could have found themselves playing in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley next weekend...

Sadly for Martin and Millwall, that error led to their quarter-final with Brighton going to extra-time, before the Seagulls went through after a penalty shootout.

It's back to the league for the Lions today - they will start their match at promotion-chasing Leeds just one point above the relegation zone, but with a game in hand on the teams around them at the bottom of the table.

They say momentum has a huge bearing when the play-offs come around, and if that's true, then Aston Villa and Preston are teams to fear.

Villa - helped by the return of midfielder Jack Grealish - have won four in a row to climb to sixth spot.

Just behind them are Preston, who haven't lost a Championship match since 1 January. And their manager Alex Neil went up via the play-offs with Norwich in 2015.

Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest are in the mix too, while Derby and Bristol City have games in hand on the rest. It promises to be an exciting race.

In the Championship's Friday night game, West Bromwich Albion twice came from behind to beat Birmingham City and earn caretaker boss James Shan his third straight win.

Jake Livermore struck the winner, arrowing a half-volley into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Has the Baggies' mini-revival just about kept them in contention for automatic promotion?

Image source, Rex Features

Already 13 points clear of fourth-placed Mansfield Town, Lincoln City could take another significant step towards confirming promotion if they're able to beat struggling Macclesfield Town.

But Sol Campbell's side, currently 23rd, could move out of the relegation places if they secure a shock victory and mangerless Yeovil Town lose at home to Newport County.

• Bury v Swindon Town
• Cambridge United v Colchester United
• Crewe Alexandra v Cheltenham Town
• Exeter City v Mansfield Town
• Forest Green Rovers v MK Dons
• Lincoln City v Macclesfield Town
• Morecambe v Crawley Town
• Northampton Town v Port Vale
• Oldham Athletic v Grimsby Town
• Stevenage v Notts County
• Tranmere Rovers v Carlisle United
• Yeovil Town v Newport County

Image source, Rex Features

With Portsmouth and Sunderland facing each other in the Checkatrade Trophy on Sunday, Luton Town and Barnsley could make some serious gains if they're able to win today.

At the other end of the table - or, more accurately, in the half of the table currently battling relegation - managerless Southend United's game at home to Shrewsbury Town is one to look out for.

• Accrington Stanley v Fleetwood Town
• Barnsley v Coventry City
• Blackpool v Plymouth Argyle
• Bristol Rovers v Luton Town
• Charlton Athletic v Bradford City
• Doncaster Rovers v Walsall
• Gillingham v Rochdale
• Oxford United v Wycombe Wanderers
• Scunthorpe United v AFC Wimbledon
• Southend United v Shrewsbury Town

• Aston Villa v Blackburn Rovers
• Derby County v Rotherham United
• Ipswich Town v Hull City
• Leeds United v Millwall
• Nottingham Forest v Swansea City
• Queens Park Rangers v Bolton Wanderers
• Reading v Preston North End
• Sheffield United v Bristol City
• Stoke City v Sheffield Wednesday
• Wigan Athletic v Brentford
• Middlesbrough v Norwich City (17:30)

Let's take a look at how we're lining up across the English Football League today, shall we?

After a two-week break, Championship football is back. For many, there are only eight games left to determine whether this season will be looked upon as a success or a failure.

We have to wait until 17:30 GMT to watch the leaders Norwich in action at Middlesbrough. Before then, Sheffield United and Leeds will hope to crank up the pressure on the Canaries.

We're getting to the business end in League One and League Two as well, so stay with us for almost six hours of live text coverage of the English Football League.