Championship preview

Davies: Preparing for East Midlands derby

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Barnsley v Blackpool
Coventry v Scunthorpe
Doncaster v Crystal Palace
Ipswich v Bristol City
Leicester v Nottm Forest
Middlesbrough v QPR
Preston v Cardiff
Reading v Sheff Wed
Sheff Utd v Plymouth
Swansea v Peterborough
Watford v Newcastle
West Brom v Derby

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• Barnsley
• Blackpool

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  • Bristol City
  • Cardiff City
  • Coventry City
  • Crystal Palace
  • Derby County
  • Doncaster
  • Ipswich Town
  • Leicester City
  • Middlesbrough
  • Newcastle United
  • Nottingham Forest
  • Peterborough United
  • Plymouth Argyle
  • Preston North End
  • Queens Park Rangers
  • Reading
  • Scunthorpe United
  • Sheffield United
  • Sheffield Wednesday
  • Swansea City
  • Watford
  • West Bromwich Albion

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• Championship video highlights
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• Championship table
• Championship stats

The battle for promotion to the Premier League continues apace with the Championship's top two both on the road on Saturday.

West Bromwich Albion bid to clamber back into the automatic promotion spots, while the division's bottom two teams face tough away fixtures.

Newcastle United head into the weekend's programme with a five-point lead at the top and Chris Hughton's side travel to Watford.

Nottingham Forest are the Magpies' nearest pursuers, but Billy Davies' men have a tricky test at East Midlands rivals Leicester City, who will be out to bolster their play-off hopes.

Roberto Di Matteo was left 'destroyed' by West Brom's exit to Reading in the FA Cup on Wednesday night and will be seeking an immediate response at home to Derby County.

Fourth-placed Swansea City have the joint-lowest scoring attack, and joint-meanest defence in the division, and they welcome bottom side Peterborough United to the Liberty Stadium.

Plymouth Argyle are five points from safety and travel to play-off hopefuls Sheffield United, whose city rivals Sheffield Wednesday are away to fellow strugglers Reading.

Crystal Palace players will have their fingers crossed that the trip to Doncaster Rovers will not prove to be Neil Warnock's final match as manager.

Warnock has been strongly linked with the Queens Park Rangers post, and Loftus Road caretaker Mick Harford is tipped to take charge for the last time at Middlesbrough.

Barnsley and Blackpool - two unexpected teams in the top half of the table - clash at Oakwell, while Coventry City are at home to Scunthorpe United.

Preston North End entertain sixth-placed Cardiff City, who have lost more games this season than 19th-placed Ipswich Town, with Roy Keane's side at home to Bristol City.