Watford's turn-up in form has come since boss Xisco Munoz switched to a 4-3-3 formation.

Joao Pedro is leading the line in the absence of the injured Troy Deeney, and the Brazilian teenager has scored three goals in his past three games.

Bournemouth have reverted to 4-3-3 to match up the visitors, who are all in white.

Junior Stanislas and Arnaut Danjuma are flanking Dominic Solanke up front for the hosts.

Cherries keeper Asmir Begovic has fielded an early cross, and Ken Sema has just flashed another ball across the Bournemouth box.

They are under way in the early kick-off.

Bournemouth started the day outside the play-off places on goals scored, while Watford are behind second-placed Brentford on goal difference.

The margins in the promotion race are tight, so can either side take a big step towards returning to the Premier League?

Tony Harrington is the man in the middle for the early kick-off.

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Watford have won their past four matches to turn up the pressure on the top two in the Championship.

The Hornets have re-found their sting under Xisco Munoz, losing just one of their past 10 games and winning seven of those encounters.

The Vicarage Road outfit could leapfrog Brentford and move into the automatic promotion places for a few hours with victory on the south coast.

Watford won 3-2 at Blackburn in midweek but have largely kept it tight away from home - scoring just 11 times and conceding the same number in their 16 trips this season.

They are five unbeaten away from home and eyeing up a third straight win on the road.

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Bournemouth appointed Jonathan Woodgate as head coach until the end of the season last Sunday.

The decision to give their caretaker the nod came after he had won two and drawn one of his first four Championship games since taking over from the departed Jason Tindall.

The Cherries had put Thierry Henry and David Wagner on their shortlist, but then decided "stability and clarity" were the order of the day, so plumped for Woodgate.

But the Dorset club slipped out of the play-off places following defeat by a resurgent Cardiff in midweek - and Henry left his position at MLS outfit CF Montreal this week to return to London for family reasons.

So can Woodgate re-energise Bournemouth and revitalise their promotion bid?

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Bournemouth head coach Jonathan Woodgate makes three changes from their defeat by Cardiff, with Dominic Solanke back from injury.

Ben Pearson and Arnaut Danjuma also come into the Cherries side, with Diego Rico, Philip Billing and Sam Surridge dropping out.

Bournemouth XI: Begovic, Smith, Carter-Vickers, Cook, Kelly, Pearson, Cook, Lerma, Stanislas, Danjuma, Solanke.

Subs: Travers (GK), Rico, Mepham, Billing, Wilshere, Kilkenny, Riquelme, Anthony, Long.

Watford head coach Xisco Munoz makes two changes from their 3-2 win at Blackburn.

Centre-back Craig Cathcart and midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah come in for William Troost-Ekong and Dan Gosling.

Watford XI: Bachmann, Femenia, Cathcart, Sierralta, Masina, Cleverley, Chalobah, Hughes, Sarr, Sema, Joao Pedro.

Subs: Elliot (GK), Ngakia, Wilmot, Troost-Ekong, Lazaar, Gosling, Zinckernagel, Gray, Perica.

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There are 10 games in the second tier today, with leaders Norwich travelling to bottom club Wycombe tomorrow lunchtime.

Here's a rundown of all Saturday's second tier action:

• Bournemouth v Watford (12:30 GMT)
• Barnsley v Millwall
• Birmingham City v Queens Park Rangers
• Blackburn Rovers v Coventry City
• Brentford v Stoke City
• Luton Town v Sheffield Wednesday
• Middlesbrough v Cardiff City
• Preston North End v Huddersfield Town
• Rotherham United v Reading
• Swansea City v Bristol City

We'll preview all those games and the League One and League Two action later. But let's concentrate on the game at the Vitality Stadium for now.

The weekend's English Football League action got under way last night, with Nottingham Forest taking a point away from their trip to rivals Derby County.

There are 10 Championship games to bring you today, along with a full programme in League One and League Two.

As this relentless season gets towards the business end, the promotion race in the second tier is hotting up.

Two promotion challengers meet in the early kick-off, with seventh-placed Bournemouth hosting Watford, who sit third.

Both clubs are looking for an immediate return to the Premier League - and kick-off is coming up in 15 minutes.

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