We’ve got 11 midweek fixtures in the EFL, with games across each three divisions on Tuesday 21st February 2017.
Five matches in the Sky Bet Championship this midweek includes a battle between two Play-Off dwellers, with Huddersfield Town taking on Reading.
Third v Fourth - Huddersfield v Reading
In-form Huddersfield (third) have won five league matches on the spin and held Manchester City to a goalless stalemate in the FA Cup at the weekend.
Fourth-placed Reading, meanwhile, are undefeated in six (four wins, two draws) and hold the historical advantage over the Terriers with 24 victories to 14 in the head-to-head.
Last time around - 24th Sep 2016: Reading 1-0 Huddersfield (Roy Beerens)
Rams return for Clough - Derby v Burton
Nigel Clough takes his Burton Albion side to former employers Derby County.
The Brewers are battling away at the bottom, sitting 20th, four points above the relegation zone, while the Rams are 11th, 11 points off the Play-Offs.
Clough’s message to his players?
“Go and enjoy it,” as quoted on burtonalbionfc.co.uk. “Go and play at Pride Park in front of 30,000 people on a beautiful surface, go and enjoy it.
“Let’s see if we can get a point or three out of the game but the biggest thing is to relax and go and play.”
Around the grounds
Elsewhere, sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday take a four-match winning run into their game against Brentford, with the opportunity to give themselves more breathing space from the Play-Off chasers. The visiting mid-table Bees, on the other hand, have only won once in six.
Wigan could climb out of the drop zone, for 24 hours at least, when they travel to QPR on Wednesday. Three points would lift them above 21st-placed Bristol City, who host Fulham on Wednesday.
Table: Click here to see the Sky Bet Championship table
Here’s a look at the midweek Sky Bet Championship schedule:
Tuesday 21st February 2017
Derby County v Burton Albion
Huddersfield Town v Reading
Queens Park Rangers v Wigan Athletic
Sheffield Wednesday v Brentford
Wednesday 22nd February 2017
Bristol City v Fulham
Social media: Follow @SkyBetChamp for midweek goal updates
Back to the bread and butter - Millwall v Chesterfield
FA Cup heroes Millwall return to Sky Bet League One acton by hosting lowly Chesterfield on Tuesday.
The Lions beat Leicester City at the weekend to advance to the Quarter-Finals, where they will face London foes Tottenham Hotspur.
In the league, though, they are out of the Play-Off places by goal difference only, and could climb as high as fifth with three points. Their opponents, the Spireites, are embroiled in a relegation battle, seven points from safety and with only one win in 10.
It’s been a while - Charlton v Oxford
At The Valley, Charlton Athletic host Oxford United, who they’ve not lost to since 1987.
The reverse fixture ended all square at 1-1, which extended the Addicks’ unbeaten run against the Yellows to 18 matches.
The pair are side-by-side in the League One table with Charlton 13th and Oxford 12th.
Form - Charlton: LWDWDWDDLD
Form - Oxford: DWLDWLWWWL
Around the grounds
Southend United visit Peterborough knowing a win would see them maintain their place in the Play-Offs. The Blues overtook Millwall into sixth on Saturday, but could rise to fifth with three points. Posh are only three points behind their opponents, harbouring Play-Off ambitions of their own.
The other game in Sky Bet League One sees Gillingham host AFC Wimbledon. Both sides are having a tough time of it at the minute; the Gills are winless in 10 and the Wombles have only one victory in nine.
Gillingham’s Ady Pennock, who is yet to win as the club’s manager, told gillinghamfootballclub.com: “It will be a tough game against Wimbledon, it always is, but we have to move on and hope we get those three points sooner rather than later.”
Table: Click here to see the Sky Bet League One table
Here’s what’s coming up in Sky Bet League One:
Tuesday 21st February 2017
Charlton Athletic v Oxford United
Gillingham v AFC Wimbledon
Millwall v Chesterfield
Peterborough United v Southend United
Social media: Follow @SkyBetLeagueOne for midweek goal updates
Eyes on the Play-Offs
The stand-out match on Tuesday sees two Play-Off chasers go head-to-head with Colchester United (11th) entertaining Wycombe Wanderers (ninth).
The equation is simple for both; win and they move up to seventh and into the coveted Play-Off positions.
The Chairboys are only a point behind the team who sit seventh, Mansfield, while the U’s are two points further back.
2002: Wycombe are winless in eight in the league against Colchester, last beating them in October 2002.
At the other end
Newport County remain rooted to the bottom of the table, seven points adrift of safety, ahead of a meeting with Morecambe.
Newport have only ever beaten Morecambe once in six meetings — the Shrimps have won the other five — and the form book doesn’t make for good reading either…
Form - Newport: LLLDDWDDDL
Form - Morecambe: WLDWDDWWLW
Last but not least
The other EFL midweek match sees Accrington Stanley host Cambridge United.
The U’s are pushing for a Play-Off place, currently four points off, while Stanley are battling at the other end, four points above the relegation zone. And 50 points is the target for Accrington boss John Coleman.
“I think 50 points will keep you up this year,” he told the club’s website. “We have to do our utmost to get those 50 points on the board as quickly as possible.
“It was a relief to get beyond the 30-point mark at the weekend because that can sometimes be like a weight around your neck.”
Table: Click here to see the Sky Bet League Two table
Here are the Sky Bet League Two midweek fixtures:
Tuesday 21st February 2017
Accrington Stanley v Cambridge United
Colchester United v Wycombe Wanderers
Newport County v Morecambe
Social media: Follow @SkyBetLeagueTwo for midweek goal updates