It's been an open enough start here and the large contingent of travelling Preston fans are creating a good atmosphere.

The visitors win back-to-back corners and while the first one is cleared, Daniel Johnson overhits the second and it floats out for a Wigan throw-in.

Wigan first to threaten and it needs a smart save from Declan Rudd to deny them.

The ball is passed inside to Jamal Lowe, who opens his body and bends the ball towards the far corner - only for Preston keeper Rudd to tip wide.

We're under way in the lunchtime derby at the DW Stadium.

Wigan could end the game out of the bottom three and Preston could finish it in the play-off places - it's all to play for.

We'll also be building up to the 13:30 GMT kick-off between Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday over the next hour.

Wigan full-back Antonee Robinson is watching on in the stands.

Just a week ago he was on the brink of a move to Italian giants AC Milan, which would've seen him potentially lining up in the Milan derby this weekend.

How things change!

It's a bright enough afternoon in Greater Manchester and temperatures have risen a tad from recent days.

The players clap and shout encouragement as they emerge from the tunnel to a healthy-looking Wigan crowd.

We're going to start late, that's for sure...

Image source, Rex Features

Back-to-back wins for Wigan have hauled them to within two points of safety though they're short of a goalscorer, with centre-back Chey Dunkley their top scorer this season with five goals.

Alex Neil's Preston, meanwhile, seem to have refound their form and sit three points outside the play-offs, unbeaten in their past four away Championship games and looking for a league double over the Latics for the first time since the 1992-93 campaign.

Who will still have their tails up in a couple hours?

I've just been chatting "off-air" to a colleague about whether this Wigan v Preston game is a derby.

The cities are only 18 miles apart but it's hardly the fiercest of rivalries, is it?

What makes a derby? Distance, history, dislike for each other? Put me in my place using #bbcefl on social media.

Image source, Rex Features

Wigan make one change to the side that won at Leeds, Jamal Lowe replacing Gavin Massey in attack, while on-loan Brighton defender Leon Balogun is on the bench.

Preston welcome back Andrew Hughes from injury and Sean Maguire is also recalled, with Paul Gallagher among the substitutes after injury.

Wigan: Marshall, Byrne, Kipre, Dunkley, Naismith, Pearce, Evans, Morsy, Williams, Lowe, Moore.

Subs: Balogun, Massey, Garner, Jacobs, Roberts, Jones, Gelhardt.

Preston: Rudd, Fisher, Bauer, Davies, Hughes, Pearson, Browne, Barkhuizen, Johnson, Sinclair, Maguire.

Subs: Clarke, Harrop, Gallagher, Rafferty, Stockley, Ripley, Nugent.

That's the pleasantries dealt with - our first game gets started in 10 minutes, so let's get down to business...

Here's your Championship timetable this afternoon:

• Wigan v Preston (12:30 GMT)

• Barnsley v Sheff Wed (13:30 GMT)

• Blackburn v Fulham
• Brentford v Middlesbrough
• Huddersfield v QPR
• Luton v Cardiff
• Reading v Hull
• Stoke v Charlton
• Swansea v Derby

• Nott'm Forest v Leeds (17:30 GMT)

A couple of derbies to get us going and the usual glut of 15:00 GMT games before a tasty promotion ding-dong to wrap things up.

We're here for it all and will also be keeping across matters in League One and League Two.

Image source, Rex Features

Winter break... what winter break?

Most EFL clubs have played five league games more than their Premier League counterparts, and had the early rounds of the FA Cup and EFL Cup - and EFL Trophy - to negotiate.

But we plough on across the Championship, League One and League Two this weekend, and (we hope) there's nothing Storm Ciara can do to stop us.