Queens Park Rangers

With this game being played on Sunday (16:30 GMT), Middlesbrough could find themselves outside the Championship's automatic promotion places if Ipswich beat Leicester on Saturday.

QPR's only two wins in their past six league games have come against leaders Coventry and fifth-placed Hull City.

• QPR have lost their past four league games against Middlesbrough but have never lost five in a row against Boro.

• Middlesbrough have won on their past two league visits, having won just three of their first 26 visits beforehand between 1966 and 2022.

• Since Christmas, only Sheffield Wednesday (0), West Brom (1) and Leicester (2) have won fewer Championship matches than QPR (3), who have lost their past two by an aggregate score of 7-0.

• Middlesbrough have won nine away league games this season and are looking to reach double figures in a season for the ninth time – five of the previous eight have come this century (2011-12, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2018-19, 2023-24).

• Middlesbrough defender Matt Targett scored twice in the first half of their 3-1 win over Birmingham on Monday, equalling his goals tally in his previous 74 league games combined.

Image source, Shutterstock

Earlier we asked what you make of the news that, from next season, the Championship play-offs will be expanded to include the teams finishing seventh and eighth?

It was announced on Thursday morning that EFL clubs voted in favour of expanding the play-offs from four to six teams.

Here's a selection of your comments...

Josh, Derby: I don't believe this is necessary. I do think that the play-off format should be aligned throughout the top five leagues, but expanding isn't needed. Better distribution of the monies involved and establishing a clear matchday structure to balance various men's and women's leagues would be a better use of everyone's time. This strikes me undue American influence.

Callum, Dartford: I think it's a good thing so teams can push for promotion that thought they wouldn't get near the play-offs.

Cato, Sheffield: If we adopted it to this season, it means that eighth-placed Derby (on 51 points) have about as much a chance of going up as third-placed Millwall (on 63 points). Plus, to accommodate the extra games, would they extend the season into June? I don't like the idea of it at all, and I hope it's short-lived.

Steve, London: Another example of football being ruined, week by week. Don't you dare think about implementing VAR too.

Mark, Stafford: As a Stoke fan, I think it's good news. The season has come to a grinding halt due to being decimated by injuries. Add to that, the quality of what is coming down from the Premier League, it would mean upsets can happen and still allow teams in that mid-table race to dream of greater heights!

Richard, Stansted: Absolutely ridiculous. What is the point of a league format if you are going to make it a bigger lottery to include even more teams at the end of the season? It also brings teams that are even less ready to actually be in the Premier League into scope. But mostly it's the undermining of the league format which makes no sense. I'm a Derby fan - and we look like we would have a chance of benefiting from this if it were in place this season.

Andy, Nuneaton: Anything that expands the opportunities for those outside of the parachute teams is a good thing. We need to get away from this elite view of the Premier League. If it was up to them, they'd stop automatic promotion and relegation and have a system like Rugby Union, where it's based on meeting certain criteria. The eighth-placed club in the Championship getting to the PL? Bring it on!

Ron, Hayling: Money, Money, Money. Players complain about the amount of games they play with the league games and cup competitions so the intention is to play even more at the end of the season. Owners will make some money but that's all that matters!

Barry, Dartford: Yes it's a fantastic for everyone, all the small teams as well as the big boys, to have something to play for. It will give the end of the season something to look forward to.

Benjamin, Poole: I'm a Charlton fan, so it's unlikely we'll come 8th in the Championship any time soon, however, this is ridiculous. More pandering to Americans to make it more likely they'll make money, which is the only thing they care about. Sporting integrity out of the window again. Shame as I felt the Championship was the last bastion of quality and integrity combined. Game has gone.

Broughton, Derby: Absolute ridiculous, put it back to the old days of three straight up, no play-offs. If you don't make top-three you don't deserve to go up.

Julian, London: The worst decision from a footballing point of view ever! The National League teams have been trying to change their system to be like the current EFL system so it seems a very strange decision for the EFL to take. You can finish 8th after 46 games and still get promoted - sporting integrity has been totally lost with this decision. Money over integrity every time!

Image source, PA Media

QPR manager Julien Stephan felt his side never got going in their 2-0 Championship home defeat to Sheffield United.

Stephan was also aggrieved Richard Kone's header was ruled out for offside, which would have made it 2-1 with 17 minutes to play.

He told BBC Radio London: "Tough result, tough performance. I'm disappointed with the performance, to concede the goals too quickly in the first half.

"We didn't start the game like we expected to in terms of aggression or intensity. It was better in the second half, but we didn't succeed in creating strong momentum.

"We scored one goal, I think. It should have been 2-1 at that moment and that would have changed completely the momentum for the end of the game.

"But I don't want to explain only this result with this decision. It had a strong impact, especially if I compare the goal Liverpool scored today and it was exactly the same.

"So there's a big difference in terms of decisions between the Premier League and the Championship. But this is the history of this game and we didn't show enough quality today to hope for a better result, especially in terms of intensity and mental strength."

Image source, Coventry City FC

You might not hear the old terrace refrain of 'you're not fit to wear the shirt' as often as you used to, but it still has a better ring than 'the shirt's not fit for you to wear'.

Championship leaders Coventry City launched a new collection on Friday, proudly taking inspiration from a kit widely dubbed the 'Worst of All Time'.

A take on the club's infamous brown change strip worn away from Highfield Road from 1978 to 1981, the modern reinvention features what the club calls "a deeper chocolate plum colour with sky blue elements".

Many would suggest it sounds tastier than it looks.

But it's got us thinking... what are actually the worst EFL kits of all time? Let us know which of your club's shirts is hiding in the back of the wardrobe, or even if they were too ugly for you to even part money for them.

We'll collate a list of the biggest eyesores and will give you the chance to vote on the ghastliest of all next week.

Click here to let us know your suggestion, and you can even attach a picture if you really want to convey the horror.

Image source, Getty Images

QPR and Sheffield United will seek to keep their fading play-off hopes alive when they meet on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The R's are 14th, two points and two places above the Blades, after following-up their fine win at Hull last Saturday with a humbling 5-0 reverse at Southampton on Tuesday night.

United are nine points behind sixth-placed Wrexham with a dozen games remaining after Sunday's Steel City derby win was followed by a 2-1 home defeat to leaders Coventry on Wednesday night.

• QPR have won just one of their past 10 league games against Sheffield United (D3 L6), a 1-0 away win in October 2022.

• Sheffield United have won three of their past four away league games against QPR (D1), as many as they had in their previous 15 (D4 L8).

• QPR have alternated between victory (3) and defeat (3) in their past six home league games, losing 3-1 against Blackburn Rovers last time out.

• Since the start of April 2025, only West Bromwich Albion (14) have lost more away games in the Championship than Sheffield United (13).

• Sheffield United's Patrick Bamford has faced QPR more often without registering a single goal or assist than any other side in his English league career (6).

Image source, Getty Images

QPR boss Julien Stephan said that he is confident his players can "react" after their loss to Southampton on Tuesday night.

The Hoops were well beaten by the Saints, conceding five goals and failing to score at St Mary's.

"We knew that after the third one it was very difficult to come back and we conceded the fourth one quickly," Stephan told BBC Radio London.

"It was a repeat but just a question of how we can manage the situation in order to prepare the next one (game) and how we can give some playing time for some players, how we can give some rest for other ones.

"I would have liked to change one or two players more but it was not possible so now for me, the main thing is to switch quickly, to reset quickly, and to think about the next one and see how we are able to react, and I'm sure that these players are able to react."

Stephan's side have the chance to bounce back this weekend when they host Sheffield United at Loftus Road.

Julien Stephan hopes QPR can repeat their heroics from Saturday's win at high-flying Hull City when they visit Southampton on Tuesday (20:00 GMT).

Following a run of one victory in six games, the R's won 3-1 at the MKM Stadium after a strong second-half showing.

Though they are 13th in the Championship, they are just four points adrift of the play-off places and level on points with the 11th-placed Saints.

"It's a question of mindset when you are away from home," Stephan told BBC Radio London.

"Physically we did very well in the (Hull) game and it will probably be the biggest challenge for us to be able to repeat the same thing physically just three days after, but if you want to show some consistency it's very important for us to be able to do that."

He added: "Southampton are on a good run, it's not a surprise, they have some very good players and I think the expectation for them is to be promoted.

"It will be tough but if we are able to repeat mentally and physically what we did against Hull we will have some chances. Let's see if we are able to do that, I really hope we can."

Stephan said he has learned the key to success in the Championship is to break out of a rut as quickly as possible, adding: "It's normal to have some up and downs. You'll have some bad moments sometimes and the ability to break these bad moments quickly is the key point in the Championship.

"The big lesson from the season for me, when you are in a bad run or after a bad game, switch immediately. You don't have to stay down too long.

"In the Championship everything can change very quickly. You have to shut out the noise and stay focused on your team and players and process."

Play-off chasers Southampton and Queens Park Rangers will face each other at St Mary's for Tuesday night's headline act (20:00 GMT).

The Saints are undefeated across their past six league games (W4 D2) to leave them four points off Wrexham in sixth place.

QPR's results haven't looked as bright (W2 D2 L2) but they are level on points with their hosts and will be just as interested in taking some ground advantage against one of their promotion-chasing rivals.

• Southampton have won each of their last five league games against QPR, since a 2-1 home loss in March 2013 in the Premier League.

• QPR have lost their last two away league games against Southampton, last losing more consecutive visits between 1957 and 1969 (4).

• Southampton have won six of their eight midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league matches this season, with the exceptions being a 3-1 loss at Bristol City and a 0-0 draw with Millwall.

• QPR are unbeaten in their last four midweek (Tues, Weds, Thurs) away league matches (W3 D1), keeping a clean sheet in each of the last three.

• Against no side has Southampton's Finn Azaz provided more assists in English league football than QPR (3), assisting in each of his last three appearances against them.

QPR boss Julien Stephan told BBC Radio London after his side's 3-1 win at Hull City:

"We have to congratulate the players because I think they did a very, very good game.

"Top discipline on the pitch, fantastic commitment and quality with the ball to use the space.

"Good maturity as well, because in the 10 minutes after we concede the goal, we felt it was a bit more difficult for us, but we managed quite well the situation.

"I think it was very good in the second half, how the players managed the match. High press, they recovered some good balls, good pressure on the opponent, so I think the players deserve the credit for this win, so we have to congratulate them."

Image source, Opta

Hull City will hope to get their Championship promotion bid back on track when they welcome QPR on Saturday lunchtime (kick-off 12:30 GMT).

The Tigers are without a win in their past two games but are six points clear of seventh and seven points behind the automatic promotion places.

The Hoops have won just twice in their past 10 games (D4 L4) to slide from seventh in late December to 13th - though QPR are still only four points back from the top six.

• Hull City have lost their past two league meetings with QPR (1-2 in January and 2-3 in November 2025) – they have never lost three in a row against them in league competition.

• QPR have only won three of their previous 16 away league games against Hull (D7 L6), although all three of those victories have come within their most recent five trips (L2).

• Hull City have failed to win in their past two league games (D1 L1), despite both being home matches. Only once have they gone three without a win this season (D1 L2 in August/September).

• QPR are winless across their past seven away games in the Championship (D4 L3), with each of the past three ending 0-0 – only two sides have ever played four consecutive away goalless draws in the history of the second tier: Grimsby Town in 1963 and Crystal Palace in 1978-1979.

• Hull City rank 22nd for total shots in the Championship this season (345), but joint-6th for shots on target (135). The Tigers have fired the highest share of their attempts on target in the division this term (39%).

Image source, EFL

Puma's Rainbow ball will return to the English Football League as part of an on-going campaign against discrimination and homophobia.

The special edition rainbow ball was introduced in 2024 to mark LGBTQ+ History Month and will be used at every EFL game from 20 February until 1 March.

Manufacturers Puma will make a donation to Football v Homophobia for every goal scored with their rainbow ball across the Championship, League One and League Two.

The donations will help support education against homophobia and promote inclusion across the season.

The EFL have released a video, external to coincide with the campaign which features a Preston North End fan who was charged with a hate crime following homophobic chanting during an FA Cup fixture against Chelsea.

The rainbow ball will also feature in EFL partner EA Sports' FC 26 video game.

"The rainbow ball is a powerful symbol of the values we uphold across the EFL all season long," EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch said.

"It not only reflects our longstanding commitment to ensuring the League is representative of all its diverse communities, but also reminds us that we all have a role to play in creating an environment in which everyone feels they truly belong."

Image source, Getty Images

QPR head coach Julien Stephan admitted his side made it 'too easy' for Blackburn in their 3-1 home defeat to the Championship strugglers.

Rangers cancelled out Mathias Jorgensen's opener through Koki Saito's clinical finish, but then conceded again either side of half-time as Jorgensen scored his second and Ryoya Morishita was left unmarked to head in.

"I think we started the game well," Stephan said. "In the first 20-25 minutes we showed some good movement and we had two or three good chances to score the first goal.

"It's a question of efficiency – Blackburn had two shots in the first half and scored two goals. It's unusual for us to concede three goals and it was too easy for the opponents to score these three goals.

"The players found the solution to equalise and it was a good goal, but when we conceded the third goal I think we dropped mentally and we played too many long balls, we didn't find the connections.

"Now it's question of how we are able to react and improve and make sure we don't drop like this mentally after we concede a goal."

Blackburn Rovers will hope to escape the bottom three as they make the trip to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Rovers, who are currently without a manager, have only one win across their past 10 league games and are kept in the danger zone by goal difference.

That victory came against basement side Sheffield Wednesday but the Hoops will prove a much tougher task, with the hosts keen on staying in contention for the play-off places.

• Following their 1-0 win in November, QPR are looking to complete their first league double over Blackburn since 1970-71.

• Blackburn have lost three of their last four league games against QPR (W1), as many as they had in their previous 21 (W12 D6).

• Only three sides (Coventry, Ipswich and Birmingham) have scored more home goals than Queens Park Rangers in the Championship this season (28).

• Blackburn have won just two of their last 16 league games (D7 L7), a run which started with a 1-0 defeat to QPR at the end of November.

• Nicolas Madsen has twice as many assists (6) and has created twice as many chances (50) than any other QPR player in the Championship this season.

Image source, Getty Images

QPR manager Julien Stephan defended their seven-game winless away run in the Championship following their goalless draw with Charlton at The Valley.

Rangers missed the chance to move closer to the play-offs, but Stephan preferred to concentrate on their third successive clean sheet on the road.

The Frenchman told BBC Radio London: "It was two different halves. The first half, too shy in between with the first line of pressure, not enough intensity, so they used a lot of long balls. So, except for the first five or 10 minutes, the first half was not good enough.

"But we showed a strong reaction in the second half. I think we fixed a couple of problems during half-time in the dressing room and the players did very well.

"When we had the ball, we had some good movements. We had probably the best situations, especially at the end of the game. But we have to have more efficiency in this kind of game if we want to win and transform a draw into a win because I think in the second half, we had enough to win this game.

"It's a third draw in a row for us away, a third clean sheet in a row as well away. Unfortunately, it's the third game as well without a goal scored, but if we can win at home and draw away, then that's not too bad."

Image source, Opta

A London derby kicks-off the Championship weekend on Friday night as QPR head from West to South East to take on Charlton (20:01 GMT).

The Addicks are 17th with a three-point cushion over the relegation zone after their eye-catching 2-0 win at Leicester on Saturday, which ended a run of nine away games without a win.

The Hoops are 11th, four points outside the play-offs after winning for the first time in five on Saturday, coming from behind to stun leaders Coventry 2-1.

Julien Stephan's side don't have a good record at The Valley, however, and are winless in seven away games in all competitions, though three of their past four league games were drawn.

• Charlton have lost just one of their past 10 home league games against QPR (W6 D3), and have won each of the past three in a row without conceding.

• Following their 3-1 win in August, QPR are looking to complete their first league double over Charlton since 2007/08.

• Charlton have only failed to score in one of their past 24 home league games, netting in each of the past 11 since a 1-0 loss to Leicester in August.

• QPR are winless in their past six away league games (D3 L3). After both scoring and conceding in the first four in this run, the past two have both finished 0-0.

• Eight of Charlton's nine league wins this season have been to nil – the Addicks have won just one of their 20 league games when conceding at least once this term (D7 L12).

Queens Park Rangers head coach Julien Stephan has warned his players to be ready for a "different" game when they visit Charlton Athletic on Friday.

The R's go into the match following an impressive 2-1 comeback win against league leaders Coventry City on Saturday. They are 11th in the table, four points off the top six.

"We need to be ready to play a man's game, a very physical game probably," Stephan told BBC Radio London. "It's a derby game, and they have their way to play. It's different compared to Coventry, but this is the Championship.

"It's very hard but this is the challenge for all the teams. If you play against different styles of football every week, you need to find solutions and keep a strong mentality.

"We are into the last three months of the season now. It's not about the position in the table, it's just a question of freshness, ambition and mentality."

Charlton also come into the game on a high following their key 2-0 win at Leicester City which took Nathan Jones' side up to 18th, three points clear of the relegation places.

Stephan said: "We need to be able to deal with all the situations. It's also an away game so a different atmosphere. We need to be ready, and to play with ambition. That is very important for us, and for Charlton as well."

QPR's win over Coventry followed a stoppage-time defeat by Wrexham in the previous match.

Frenchman Stephan, 45, is in his first spell in English football after arriving from Rennes in the summer, and says inconsistency is the nature of the game.

"Football is strange. One week you can be 2-1 up at 90+1 and lose in 90+4 (against Wrexham) or be 1-0 down to the best team in the league and win 2-1 (against) Coventry," he added.

"We also saw it when we came from behind at Bristol City in October. When you experience that as a team, you are able to repeat that in the long term, and push the players to show their character and quality.

"I tell the players they must always trust and believe they can change momentum very quickly."