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Final week of the EFL: Combinations and permutations

Final week of the EFL: Combinations and permutations
© Reuters
Promotion and relegation in the bottom two tiers is going down to the wire.

With one weekend remaining and a handful of crucial midweek fixtures, some late promotion and relegation drama is in store in the Football League.

The final Championship play-off spot remains up for grabs while in Leagues One and Two, there is still plenty to address at either end of the table.

Here, Press Association Sport takes a look at what is at stake in Tuesday and Saturday's fixtures.

Championship

With Norwich and Sheffield United promoted and Ipswich, Bolton and Rotherham relegated, only the play-offs remain to be sorted.

Leeds, West Brom and Aston Villa are confirmed in the top six, with Leeds needing a point to secure third place ahead of the Baggies while Villa will definitely finish fifth.

Bristol City need a positive result – realistically a win – at Millwall on Tuesday to keep pushing Derby and Middlesbrough for sixth. The Rams have a better goal difference and travel to Swansea on Saturday, when Boro take on Rotherham and the Robins face Hull.

League One

Tuesday evening will play a major role in shaping the third-tier promotion picture, with Sunderland needing a win at Fleetwood and Portsmouth a point or more against Peterborough to stand a chance of edging out Luton or Barnsley on the final day.

Those four teams, along with Charlton, are secure in the play-offs at the very least and Peterborough must realistically win both of their remaining games to pip Doncaster to sixth – four points could be enough but would require at least a 10-goal swing.

Bradford are down but there is a battle royal to avoid the other three places with Scunthorpe, Walsall, Plymouth and Southend separated by only a point. Argyle and the Iron meet in a key final-day fixture.

AFC Wimbledon are still not mathematically safe if three of those four teams win on Saturday.

League Two

Bury manager Ryan Lowe
A big Tuesday night awaits Ryan Lowe and Bury (Anthony Devlin/PA)

Bury can join Lincoln in League One with a point in Tuesday's re-arranged game at Tranmere – they would only have a two-point cushion but with Mansfield and MK Dons playing each other on Saturday, only one could overtake Ryan Lowe's side.

That match at Stadium MK will see the winners promoted. Goal difference means a draw benefits Mansfield – it could be enough for the Dons as well, but only if Bury lose their two games by a combined six goals.

Eleventh-placed Newport, with their game in hand against Oldham on Tuesday, have the best chance of unseating Exeter from the final play-off berth.

Two wins would guarantee seventh place for Mike Flynn's side but if both they and Exeter fail to seal the deal, Colchester, Carlisle and Stevenage are waiting in the wings.

Yeovil were relegated at the weekend and Notts County will join them unless they beat Swindon on Saturday and Macclesfield lose to Cambridge – a draw for Sol Campbell's men would leave County needing at least an eight-goal win.

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General view of Barnsley's Oakwell ground from January 2018
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City36302490226892
2Liverpool36287184206491
3Tottenham HotspurSpurs362311265362970
4Chelsea36208860392168
5Arsenal362061069492066
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd36198964511365
7Wolverhampton WanderersWolves36159124644254
8Leicester CityLeicester36156155147451
9Everton36148145044650
10Watford36148145152-150
11West Ham UnitedWest Ham36137164554-946
12Crystal Palace36127174348-543
13Newcastle UnitedNewcastle36119163645-942
14Bournemouth36126185265-1342
15Burnley36117184463-1940
16Southampton36911164461-1738
17Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton3698193355-2235
18Cardiff CityCardiff3694233066-3631
RFulham3675243476-4226
RHuddersfield TownHuddersfield3635282074-5414

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