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The EFL Championship is entering its final stretch with as many as twelve teams fighting for the four playoff spots. Leaders Fulham and Bournemouth have distanced themselves from the pack and seem to be on course for automatic promotion.
Blackburn's terrible recent run has also reduced their odds of gaining automatic qualification with Queens Park Rangers holding the fourth position in the table.
Fifth-placed Huddersfield is separated from 15th-placed Millwall by just ten points with sixteen games remaining in the season.
We look at the prospects of some of these clubs and their chances of gaining a play-off slot.
Sheffield United
Sheffield United have seen a sharp change in their fortunes in the Championship since the arrival of Paul Heckingbottom, who replaced Serbian Slavia Jokanovic. Sheffield have taken quite a jump from midtable and sit firmly in eighth place in the table, having picked up thirteen points from their last five league outings.
Their change in formation under their new manager, where they have reverted to a back three, has helped them score more goals per match. Both their wingbacks, especially Jayden Bogle, have also seen his goal tally rise in recent weeks.
Sheffield stand a very good chance of beating their close-in rivals to a playoff spot.
West Brom
West Brom were on course for automatic promotion in December. However, a serious loss in momentum has plummeted the club to ninth in the table. They are on the verge of dropping outside the top ten.
West Brom are level on points with Luton and Preston, who occupy the next two spots.
With the club losing four out of their last six outings, they decided to rope in Steve Bruce as their new manager for the rest of the season. The onus is now firmly on Bruce to take them back to the position where they belonged two months prior to his arrival.
Stoke City
The Potters also have a good chance of securing a playoff spot in the EFL Championship. Although they sit thirteenth in the table, they are just six points off sixth-placed Middlesbrough.
One positive for Stoke is that they have drawn fewer games in the Championship than some of their nearest rivals.
Other contenders in the Championship
Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest also remain strong contenders for a playoff spot this season. The only disadvantage for them are their limited resources and depth compared to some of the other teams around them.
Middlesbrough will hope to continue their recent run which has seen them pull off an upset against Manchester United in the FA Cup.
