Championship Preview: QPR, Leicester hit the road

Queens Park Rangers look to extend their unbeaten record at Yeovil Town and Leicester City visit Blackpool in the Championship this weekend.

Table-toppers QPR are the only side who have not tasted defeat this season, and with five wins and two draws from their seven matches, they will be heavy favourites to beat struggling Yeovil.

Harry Redknapp’s men have not conceded in five successive Championship fixtures, and Yeovil – who have scored just three goals in seven games – have the worst attack in the league, but manager Gary Johnson is still hopeful his side can cause an upset.

He said: “It will be a full house at Huish Park and they are the sort of games that can turn your season. Nobody’s really expecting us to win – except us.”

Leicester City, who sit second, visit Blackpool in third in another intriguing fixture at Bloomfield Road.

Blackpool suffered their first defeat of the Championship season to Millwall on Tuesday, losing 3-1, and Leicester will head into the match on the back of successive home wins against Wigan Athletic and Blackburn Rovers.

Paul Ince’s side have failed to win in the last six meetings between the two teams.

High-flying Burnley will also look to reverse recent history when they hit the road to face Brian McDermott’s Leeds United.

Burnley, who sit fourth in the table, have lost on their last five trips to Elland Road, but striker Danny Ings is in red hot form, having scored four goals in his last four matches for the club.

Leeds have struggled for goals this season and after suffering a heart-breaking last-gasp 1-0 defeat on Reading on Wednesday, will be hopeful of calling on young star Sam Byram who is set to return from a long-term hip problem.

The Championship’s two top-scorers – Huddersfield Town’s James Vaughan and Blackburn’s Jordan Rhodes, who have scored seven and six goals respectively – will face off against each other at Ewood Park.

Huddersfield have won three of their last five matches to climb to 10th in the table.

Wigan Athletic will be hopeful of returning from Belgium fresh as they host Ipswich Town on Sunday. Owen Coyle’s team, who played out a goalless draw against Zulte-Waregem in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, have dropped to 15th in the table after a poor run of form.

Other matches across the weekend see rock-bottom Bolton visit Brighton and Hove Albion, while in a meeting of two strugglers, Birmingham City host Sheffield Wednesday.

Nottingham Forest are in action at Doncaster Rovers, Charlton Athletic take on Millwall in a South London derby and Middlesbrough battle AFC Bournemouth.

Elsewhere, Derby County are in action against a resurgent Reading and Barnsley take on Watford in other matches.