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Championship preview

Image: Dougie Freedman: New Bolton boss prepares to face leaders Cardiff

It's a weekend of new beginnings in the Championship as four managers take charge of their teams for the first time.

First game for bosses at Blackburn, Bolton, Burnley and Ipswich

It's a weekend of new beginnings in the Championship as four managers take charge of their teams for the first time. Dougie Freedman will make his bow as Bolton boss at the Reebok Stadium when his team host league leaders Cardiff in front of the Sky Sports 2 HD cameras on Saturday. Freedman's old team Crystal Palace will host another side with a new man at the helm as Henning Berg's Blackburn visit Selhurst Park. Mick McCarthy is also back in management and will kick off his reign at Ipswich with a trip to St Andrew's to face Birmingham. And Sean Dyche begins at Burnley with a home fixture against Wolves who are winless in their last three. Form team Middlesbrough can briefly move joint-top of the Championship with a win at Charlton, while Leicester can do the same if they overcome Watford at Vicarage Road. Down at the bottom Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping to beat Peterborough at Hillsborough as three points will see them leapfrog the Posh and move out of the relegation zone. But if that game is drawn, Bristol City can overtake both teams if they win at Huddersfield who have lost their last two. Elsewhere, Derby host Blackpool while Nottingham Forest look to extend their unbeaten run to six games when they entertain Millwall, and Barnsley travel to Hull. Before all this, Brighton take on Leeds at the Amex Stadium on Friday evening with both teams knowing a win will move them into the play-off positions.

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