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Championship preview

Image: Dean Saunders: Waiting for first win as Wolves manager

A busy Championship programme on Tuesday night serves up a crucial game in the battle to avoid relegation.

Saunders hopes for first win as Wolves face fellow strugglers Barnsley

A busy Championship programme on Tuesday night serves up a crucial game in the battle to avoid relegation and a chance for Cardiff City to edge closer to the Premier League. Blackburn Rovers and Millwall will turn their focus back to the league after reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals over the weekend, while Mark Robins takes charge of his first Championship fixture as Huddersfield Town manager. Dean Saunders has yet to win in six games as Wolves boss and knows defeat at Barnsley will drop his team into the bottom three. Barnsley, who reached the last eight of the FA Cup by knocking out MK Dons, are on a five-match winning streak in all competitions. Cardiff are on a nine-game unbeaten run in the league and the leaders will be targeting a 14th win from 16 home games when Brighton & Hove Albion visit South Wales. Hull City are Cardiff's closest challengers, eight points adrift of the summit, and Steve Bruce's side entertain a Blackburn team hoping to build on their shock cup triumph over Arsenal. Ipswich Town have won their last two home games, but take on a Watford side with the best away record in the division after thrashing Birmingham City 4-0 at the weekend. Crystal Palace inched up to fourth after hammering Middlesbrough on Saturday and will be confident of another three points against lowly Bristol City, who have lost their last four away games. Fifth-placed Leicester City have won three games in a row at home and welcome former Foxes defender Chris Powell's Charlton Athletic team to the King Power Stadium. Middlesbrough are clinging to the final play-off position, despite losing six of their last seven games, and will hope for a change of luck at inconsistent Burnley. Bottom club Peterborough United have lost only one of their last five matches and travel to Millwall, who have lost four on the spin in the league and have won just once in nine games. Billy Davies is waiting for his first win since returning to Nottingham Forest and his side face Huddersfield, who lost 4-1 to Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup on Sunday in Robins' first match at the helm. Bolton Wanderers have not won away since November and travel to Derby County, while Sheffield Wednesday have lost once in 10 matches ahead of their trip to Birmingham.

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