Blues are one of the Championship's form sides with 22 points from their last 12 games.

They've started the stronger but no real clear-cut chances.

Image source, Getty Images

Watford are coming off a disappointing loss to Coventry at the weekend and will be looking to take advantage of a wounded Reading side who're struggling to find form.

When the Hornets failed to score on Saturday it was their first time going goalless in a Championship game since December 2020. Slaven Bilic's side will be looking to turn that statistic around tonight at Vicarage Road.

After a promising start to the season Reading have taken a bit of a nosedive with only one win from their last eight games.

Manager Paul Ince is in desperate need of a win to steady the ship and re-establish some belief in his side.

Expect a competitive but cagey match from start to finish.

Coventry are one of the form teams in the Championship with 16 points from the last seven games and that confidence is on show as they almost scored in the first couple of minutes.

But Viktor Gyokeres can't get the connection he would have liked from a fine ball from Josh Eccles.

Birmingham getting themselves into trouble at the back and again lose the ball to Hannibal Mejbri who crosses to the back post.

The ball lands for Juninho Bacuna whose volley is blocked.

Early days but the Swans on top.

Great energy from the Manchester United loanee Hannibal Mejbri who steals a loose pass for Birmingham in the Swansea half.

He lays it off to Tahith Chong whose shot is blocked and pushed away.

A bit of a late start to tonight's match at St Andrew's with both teams only just emerging from the dressing rooms.

There's a suggestion it could be down to a kit error with both sides wearing the same colour shorts.

Or maybe they just were waiting for the rain to ease off a little.

We're off and running in seven of our eight Championship games and all four of our League Two clashes.

Here we go.

Four games in League Two for you this evening.

Leaders Leyton Orient will stretch their lead at the top to six points if they can see off improving AFC Wimbledon.

Struggling Harrogate host play-off chasing Carlisle and it's ninth v sixth as Mansfield host Bradford.

Finally, there's something of a derby with lowly Rochdale hosting eighth-placed Salford.

• AFC Wimbledon v Leyton Orient
• Harrogate Town v Carlisle United
• Mansfield Town v Bradford City
• Rochdale v Salford City

Blackpool have fallen to 1-0 defeats in their past two games and will hope to avoid a hat-trick when they host Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough. Boro start the night just one point and two places above the relegation zone.

Cardiff claimed a morale-boosting 1-0 win at Sunderland on Saturday. The Bluebirds host a Hull City side who battled to a 0-0 draw at Millwall in Liam Rosenior's first game in charge after Oscar Estupinan was sent off in the first half.

To their credit Coventry have not let the numerous off-field concerns they have faced this season derail them. The Sky Blues could clamber into the top half tonight with a win against a Wigan side who blew a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at Swansea on Saturday.

Image source, Getty Images

Birmingham are coming off a decent win over a battling Stoke at the weekend and know a win tonight could elevate them into the Championship's top 10.

The in-form Blues have four wins, four draws and two losses from their last 10 games and have one of the best defensive records in the league.

But if there was a chink in one's armour look no further than central midfield. Manager John Eustace is having to plug a gap left by the Polish international Krystian Bielik who is serving a one match ban and will miss tonight's game.

Meanwhile, Swansea have failed to get a win from their last three games. Their record of wins, draws and losses is the same as their opponents through the last 10 games but there has been an obvious dip in form.

Russell Martin's side were lucky to escape with a point at home to lowly Wigan at the weekend and they needed an 84th minute penalty to secure the draw.

It's not all doom and gloom for the Swans but they could really do with a victory tonight to stop this downward trend.

Image source, Rex Features

Luton Town announced yesterday that they had given permission to boss Nathan Jones to speak to Southampton about their vacancy after tonight's game at Stoke.

Jones spent an unhappy 10 months in the Potteries either side of two spells in charge of the Hatters and if this is to be his swansong he'll want to go out with a bang not a whimper.

Current Stoke gaffer Alex Neil isn't having a great time of it just now.

His side have lost four of their past five games and fans voiced their displeasure during Saturday's 2-1 home reverse by Birmingham.

It's been a tricky run for QPR after boss Mick Beale turned down the opportunity to talk to Wolves about their managerial vacancy.

Two defeats in their past three league games have seen them fall from first down to fifth.

They probably couldn't have picked a better game to get back on track with though.

Visitors Huddersfield are bottom of the league, have taken just two points from their eight games away from home so far this season.

The Terriers put in decent showings against Sunderland and at Blackburn on Saturday but successive defeats mean they start tonight six points adrift of safety.

Image source, Rex Features

Sheffield United put league leaders Burnley to the sword at Bramall Lane on Saturday.

The Blades trailed 2-1 at the break but roared back to overwhelm the Clarets, who went into the game unbeaten since 16 August, with four second half goals giving them a 5-2 victory.

Paul Heckingbottom's men, who are unchanged from Saturday's win, will be looking to pick up where they left off when they face South Yorkshire rivals Rotherham this evening.

The Millers have put in decent showings in their past two games but came up short at Burnley and at home to Norwich on Saturday.

They'll be hoping they can make it third time lucky in this tricky run of games against promotion hopefuls.

Boss Matt Taylor makes four alterations from the 11 that started the home defeat by the Canaries, with forward Chiedozie Ogbene one of the players recalled to the team.

Philip Marsh
BBC Sport Wales at the Cardiff City Stadium

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan has travelled to the Welsh capital for this evening's match against Hull City.

Tan sat down with interim boss Mark Hudson earlier on today and has offered him the role on a permanent basis until the end of the season.

Hudson is yet to sign the contract, but he has said previously he wants the role on a full-time basis.

Image source, Rex Features

• Birmingham City v Swansea City
• Blackpool v Middlesbrough
• Cardiff City v Hull City
• Coventry City v Wigan Athletic
• Queens Park Rangers v Huddersfield Town
• Sheffield United v Rotherham United
• Stoke City v Luton Town
• Watford v Reading (20:00 GMT)

Image source, Rex Features

Good evening and welcome to this evening's EFL live text.

We could end the day with a new leader in the Championship if Sheffield United can secure a fourth successive win.

Elsewhere, will this be Nathan Jones' last game in charge of Luton before taking over at Premier League strugglers Southampton and can fifth-placed QPR end their three-game winless run against bottom side Huddersfield?

Just fifteen minutes until seven of our eight second tier games start so let's get going.