Decent early chance for Swansea as Joel Piroe finds space in the box to fire goalwards but Birmingham keeper John Ruddy is well placed to save.

Five straight league defeats for Blues, remember.

Sanny Rudravajhala
Presenter, Squad Goals

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Having been blown away by Sunderland, Boro bounced back last week with a very strong showing against Watford.

Their 2-0 victory was full of attacking intent and Cameron Archer looks to have got into his stride having arrived in January. His work set up Chuba Akpom for his 14th of the season. He sits top of the scoring charts and when you think they’re complemented by Riley Magree and Marcus Forss, it’s no surprise to see Michael Carrick’s side third in the table.

It’s nine wins from fourteen for the fledgling manager but so far, he’s got the Riverside bouncing.

With 800 games more as a manager than Carrick’s entire Boro tenure stands Mick McCarthy.

We’ve all seen the gif but I’m not sure if his appointment raised too many eyebrows when you think about Blackpool’s predicament. The Tangerines sit second from bottom but showed positive signs in their 2-1 FA Cup defeat by Premier League Southampton.

A lot is expected of Arsenal loanee, Charlie Patino. The 19-year-old got his third of the season in that defeat but it will be the experience of Gary Madine and goals from Jerry Yates who can get them out of trouble, Yates is looking for his 10th of the season, despite the club being in the mire.

The clubs are at opposite ends of the table and the managers at opposite ends of their careers - let’s hope they don’t cancel each other out!

Joe Thompson
Former Rochdale and Tranmere midfielder on Squad Goals

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It’s a tasty tie at the top of League One, with only three points separating first from second. It’ll be a packed out Hillsborough but with nearly 4,000 Argyle fans, the atmosphere will surely be electric.

Wednesday are unbeaten in 15 and Darren Moore has them playing the perfect game, winning five in a row. Facing them is a team that only have one defeat in twenty four! What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Hopefully not a stalemate! Both sides have goals in them - Michael Smith is looking for his 12th of the season and with Barry Bannan, Josh Windass starting too, it’s not a bad support act for the former Rotherham man.

Steven Schumacher has placed 23 goals on the bench in Ryan Hardie and Sam Cosgrove. An interesting call. Perhaps he’s looking to shore up a side that have drawn seven of their 14 away from home. Or maybe they’ll be waiting in the wings, ready to make an impact from the bench.

It’s by far and away the game of the day, let’s hope for goals!

Referees' whistles have shrieked briefly up and down the land - and we are under way in surely the most glorious two-hour window of the week.

The game of the day in League One, and arguably the EFL, sees leaders Plymouth visit second-placed Sheffield Wednesday.

Argyle have lost only one of their last 24 league games and have a three point cushion but the Owls are unbeaten in 15, have the better goal difference, and a game in hand.

The reverse fixture, 300 miles away and four months ago, was won by a last-minute Sam Cosgrove goal for Plymouth… will there be similar drama this afternoon?

Third-placed Ipswich will be looking to take advantage, whatever the result, as they travel to second-bottom Cambridge, who have registered only one win in 11 league games.

Derby, in fourth, will be seeking to keep the pressure on as they look to extend their 14-match unbeaten run, and five game winning streak, at home to lowly Morecambe.

Bolton, behind fourth-placed Derby on goal difference, are waiting to pounce on any slip-ups as they are at home to Cheltenham while Barnsley in sixth are eyeing a third-straight win but face a testing trip to Portsmouth, where they haven’t won since 1999.

Two in-form mid-table teams meet at St James’ Park as Exeter host Charlton while Bristol Rovers and MK Dons are seeking to end their own losing streaks at the Memorial Ground and Accrington and Lincoln face off with both seeking to stop the rot too.

Struggling Burton are looking for back-to-back wins and could climb out of the drop-zone if they can inflict a fourth consecutive defeat on hosts Fleetwood.

It’s well and truly Fergie time at The New Lawn as new Forest Green boss Duncan Ferguson welcomes Darren Ferguson and his Peterborough side. The basement-boys have lost seven of their last eight while Posh are up to seventh after winning both games since Ferguson’s return.

Elsewhere in-form Shrewsbury and Wycombe will seek to keep pace in the play-off race as they travel to Oxford and Port Vale respectively.

Too many games to bring you individual team news from each - but we've done our best to pick out the headlines for you.

January was a big month in the transfer market for third-bottom Huddersfield - and they field four home debutants against QPR today, including Martyn Waghorn, with another new face, Anthony Knockaert, on the bench.

Watford hand full debuts to new signings Ryan Porteous and Henrique Araujo at Reading, while Leeds loanee Joe Gelhardt, a real coup capture for Sunderland, will make his Black Cats bow in the starting XI at Millwall.

A look at League One now as we approach kick-off time across the land...

Charles Commins
BBC Squad Goals

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Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough said this week that “the landscape of the January transfer window has been changed” for League Two clubs thanks to the big money deals being made by those at the wrong end of the division. And it’s the game between two of those clubs this afternoon that I’ve chosen for my game of the day.

While Gillingham couldn’t seem to hit a barn door for the entire first half of the season, January signings Tom Nichols, George Lapslie and Oliver Hawkins have 13 between them having signed just last month.

An incredible turnaround by Neil Harris’ new look Gills has seen them pick up seven points in their last three games as they look to avoid the drop out of the EFL.

Crawley on the other hand, only managed to play twice in January and a new look side, under the guidance of new manager Scott Lindsey, ran out 3-2 winners over play-off chasing Salford last weekend.

Lindsey has made an immediate impact for the Red Devils, making new signing Ben Gladwin captain this week after he followed the manager from former club Swindon.

With fellow strugglers Rochdale, Hartlepool and Harrogate all facing tough tests away from home to promotion chasers, this has the makings of a real six-pointer at the Priestfield Stadium.

What an incredible moment for the Colchester stalwart...

Barrow are dropping like a stone and face a long and tricky trip to upwardly-mobile Colchester, winners of five of their last eight games.

Crewe and Grimsby are out of form, in the league at least, and will be seeking points to pull further away from trouble as they meet at Gresty Road.

They are among the sides being chased by third-bottom Hartlepool, who travel to Doncaster, second-bottom Gillingham, who host Crawley in an intriguing clash at Priestfield, and rock-bottom Rochdale, who face a short yet daunting trip to Salford.

Stockport, like visitors Tranmere, have been in patchy form but know a win could catapult them into the play-off places depending on other results.

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After their FA Cup heroics, Steve Evans' Stevenage can now focus on the title race and they take their 11-match unbeaten run in League Two to Sutton, winners of their last four at home.

Stevenage are seeking to overhaul leaders Leyton Orient, two points ahead, who have fallen to pieces since Christmas, winning only one of their last seven games, scoring just a single goal. The O's host AFC Wimbledon who have lost only one of their last 14 league games.

Third-placed Carlisle are seeking a fifth straight win at home to Harrogate, who are winless in five and dropping ever closer into danger.

Northampton, in fourth, are seeking to keep pace as they host Walsall while there’s a match between two sides firmly in the play-off race at Valley Parade where Bradford entertain Mansfield, although both sides have been somewhat out of sorts of late.

Right, sticking with the fourth tier for a moment then...

The Jody Morris era at Swindon has begun with a 2-1 defeat by Newport in the early kick-off at Rodney Parade.

County were winless in their last six league games but second half goals from Cameron Norman and Calum Kavanagh ensured that Tomi Adeloye’s last-minute goal for Town was a mere consolation.

Swindon played the majority of the game with 10 men after Rushian Hepburn-Murphy's 15th-minute red card.

Omar Bogle went close to a third for the Exiles in the dying seconds, striking the woodwork.

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Sabri Lamouchi's second game as Cardiff boss sees the Bluebirds, winless in 10 games, 21st and just three points above the drop zone, visit a Hull side that have climbed well clear of trouble since Liam Rosenior took charge.

Preston North End bid to snap a four-game home losing streak in the league as they welcome a Bristol City side who have not lost on their past four trips away from Ashton Gate.

Slaven Bilic's Watford, just inside the play-off places in sixth, lost 2-0 in the FA Cup at Reading last month and will seek a quickfire slice of revenge at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Finally, Birmingham City will look to end a five-game losing streak that has dragged them into relegation trouble as they visit a Swansea City side sitting just five points off the top six in 12th.

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Elijah Adebayo will be looking to maintain his hot streak this afternoon as Luton look to strengthen their play-off push at home to bogey side Stoke.

Adebayo has scored in each of his past five Hatters appearances, having endured a real lean spell prior to that run, with just one goal in his previous 11 games.

Fourth-placed Luton will be grateful for goals from anywhere today given their recent rotten record against the Potters, losing eight of the past eight meetings between the clubs.

Stoke, meanwhile, are desperate for points at the other end of the table, sitting 18th, seven points above the bottom three although a 4-0 win over Reading last time out did provide Alex Neil's side with some valuable breathing space.

Two sides you could arguably peg as the Championship's surprise packages this season meet at The Den as Tony Mowbray's Sunderland visit Gary Rowett's Millwall with each eyeing the play-off places.

Millwall sit ninth, a point and a place above the Black Cats, and victory for either team would give the winners a decent chance of ending the day in the top six.

Mowbray's message to his side will be not to concede first - Millwall are the only side in the Championship yet to drop any points from winning positions this season, winning all 12 games in which they’ve led.

But Sunderland have reason for optimism too - they beat the Lions 3-0 in December and have really hit their stride on the road in recent weeks, unbeaten in eight games in all competitions on their travels. Although they will be without top scorer Ross Stewart for the rest of the season...

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It's been a long old season for Huddersfield Town, who dropped into the Championship relegation zone on 20 August 2022 and have stayed there ever since.

Finally, though, there's some light at the end of the tunnel for the Terriers, who have taken seven points from the last 15 available and will climb out of the bottom three today if they beat QPR and Cardiff lose at Hull.

The omens are decent for the hosts - they beat Rangers 2-1 in the reverse fixture in November and have won six of the past nine meetings between the sides.

The R's, meanwhile, are bidding to arrest a freefall that has seen them slip from autumn league leaders to mid-table also-rans after just one win in 13 in the league, that sole victory coming in Neil Critchley's first game in charge back in mid-December.

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We can break out the famous meme in celebration - you know the one we mean, where Mick McCarthy gazes seductively into the camera as our hearts melt - as the big man returns to a Championship dugout for the first time in nearly 18 months today.

October 2021 was the last time McCarthy, then with Cardiff, took charge of a league match and he has a big task on his hands today as his new charges Blackpool, winless in 10 league games and second-bottom of the table, visit third-placed Middlesbrough.

McCarthy replaced Michael Appleton as the Seasiders boss a fortnight ago and faces another Michael today, with Boro boss Carrick enjoying a fine start to life in management after nine wins in his opening 14 games including the past four straight at home.

I'm sure Mick will tell him it won't always be a bed of roses - and he'll be hoping Blackpool continue their decent record against Boro, having lost just one of the past eight away games there (W3 D4).

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Thanks chaps, a pleasure to be joining you as the clock ticks towards the real business time.

A reminder of the eight Championship games that kick off at 15:00 GMT.

• Huddersfield Town v Queens Park Rangers
• Hull City v Cardiff City
• Luton Town v Stoke City
• Middlesbrough v Blackpool
• Millwall v Sunderland
• Preston North End v Bristol City
• Reading v Watford
• Swansea City v Birmingham City

There's also a full League One and League Two programme we'll be keeping you updated on too. More on those divisions in a bit.

That's the day's early Championship games dealt with, as Burnley go a remarkable TWENTY points clear of third place.

Let's introduce Michael Beardmore and Alex Hoad now as we build-up to all our 15:00 GMT games...