The international break may have paused Championship action, but League One and League Two sides have continued grinding through their fixtures, and this weekend brings a host of intriguing storylines across the EFL, from local derbies to managerial bows.
In the Championship, West Bromwich Albion host Birmingham City at The Hawthorns on Saturday lunchtime in a West Midlands derby with table implications. The Baggies, currently fifth, were stung by a 1-0 defeat to rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers before the break, a result defender Conor Townsend called their "worst performance of the season." Birmingham, sitting 10th, could leapfrog Albion with a win, echoing how Wolves used victory over West Brom to climb the standings. The two sides shared tight, low-scoring draws in both meetings last season.
Further south, Southampton welcome Portsmouth to St Mary's on Sunday in a fixture that has produced four draws in the last five meetings. Saints enter with a slightly lighter mood after manager Tonda Eckert received a six-week suspended ban from the FA over the club's so-called "Spygate" scandal, which had earlier seen Southampton stripped of a place in last season's play-off final and hit with a four-point deduction this term. Portsmouth, unbeaten in three, will hope to use the distraction to their advantage in the pursuit of local bragging rights.
Elsewhere, Steven Schumacher returns to Stoke City's Bet365 Stadium on Saturday, this time as Bolton Wanderers boss. Schumacher left Plymouth Argyle for Stoke in December 2023 but was dismissed last month after 32 games in charge. Since guiding Bolton to promotion, he has steadied the Trotters, who sit just three points off the play-offs despite three one-goal defeats this season. Stoke, however, are in fine form under Mark Robins, unbeaten in five matches. Former defender Luke Chambers praised Robins' impact, telling the 72+ podcast that Stoke have