Football Park's 2025/26 EFL Championship MW5 Saturday Preview
Blogs

Football Park's 2025/26 EFL Championship MW5 Saturday Preview

Football Park's 2025/26 EFL Championship MW5 Saturday Preview

The Championship returns this weekend following September's international fixtures and Football Park are going to take a look at all the talking points for Saturday's MW5 round of fixtures.

Oxford City vs Leicester City

It's The Ox against The Fox in the Championship on Saturday. Oxford are winless in their opening four games so far this season. After being promoted to the second-tier for the first time in 25 years a couple of seasons ago, they'll be hoping that the Kassam Stadium will be a tricky place for teams to get results this term.

However, the visitors have only lost once all season and new boss Cifuentes was given some timely new additions on deadline day to help bolster his squad.

In came Aaron Ramsey on loan from Burnley. Brother of new Newcastle star Jacob will be hoping to stay injury free this season after only featuring once for The Clarets as they gained promotion back to the top flight last campaign.

The loss of Bilal EL Khannouss on loan to Stuttgart is a blow, but Abdul Fatawu's goals at the end of August have provided hope that he can step-up for The Foxes since his return from injury. Fears over his fitness circulated around the club after he was seen hobbling off in the win over Birmingham last time out.

The Ghanian star chose not to travel with his national teammates over the international break as a precaution, therefore he is expected to make a full recovery and start this fixture.

Julian Carranza signed from Feyernoord and could make his debut up-front, with young welsh midfielder Jordan James also likely to feature as a debutant. He signed from Rennes on loan before the deadline, having impressed for his country as well on many occasion.

Hamza Choudhury appeared to be absent from training last week and is set to miss the game against Oxford, with striker Bobby De Cordova-Reid expected to be available for selection.

As for the hosts they had some injury setbacks over pre-season with Ciaron Brown and Ole Romeny still out. They'll be hoping Spurs loanee, Will Lankshear can cause an upset as the young striker got off the mark in the Championship against Coventry last time out.

Having said this, it's impossible to look beyond anything other than an away victory in this one.

Charlton Athletic vs Millwall

This clash sees two sides really struggling for form, with Charlton losing their last two in the league and Millwall without a win at home all season. The Lions will be hoping that their away form will help them pick up all three points as they travel to The Valley on Saturday.

Charlton are in a bad spell, having not won a single game in their last four in all competitions. They've found their return to the Championship difficult. Nathan Jones openly admitted at the start of the season that his side would need to 'Take time to adjust' at this level.

A difficult run of fixtures are to come for The Addicks, and the club will be hoping they can weather the storm. New recruit Robert Apter made an impressive start to the season in midfield, earning the clubs player of the month award for August. Harvey Knibbs joined from Reading and has been a bright spark as well.

Millwall striker Milhalio Ivanovic is yet to score this season after a brillaint campaign last time out. The club managed to keep their talisman, which the same could not be said for Japhet Tanganga who made the move to Sheffield United at the end of last month. He was a defensive rock at The Den last season and will no doubt be a big miss.

Charlton are looking good on the injury front, with just Matty Godden unavailable to The Addicks. Deadline day income James Bree, on loan from Southampton could make the bench despite not featuring at all for his parent club this season after sustaining a leg injury in pre-season.

Despite still six first-team players still sidelined for the visitors, Zak Lovelace and Macauley Langstaff can be expected to feature after returning to training this week.

Preston vs Middlesborough

After losing to Portsmouth last time out Preston will be optimistic that they can bounce back after the international break against high flying Middlesborough, who have made a perfect start to their Championship season.

Preston have won both their home games in the league this season against top level opposition. They beat Leicester and Ipswich in successive weeks, showing a complete contrast to their abismal form at the latter stages of last season. Their five at the back shape has been difficult to break down, shown in the lack of goals they have conceded in the league.

As for Middlesborough their form has been immaculate. New boss Rob Edwards has come through the door and hit the ground running beating Norwich and Sheffield United in their last two outings.

Defensive trio of Ayling, Fry and Jones have been rocks at the back at The Riverside, with goalkeeper Brynn picking up three clean sheets out of a possible four. The first choice shot-stopper at the beginning of last season, Seny Dieng returned to training three weeks ago and could return to the bench on Saturday.

Preston's home form must not be discouraged, as Deepdale has been a dificult place for teams to travel to in the league thus far. The signing of Harrison Armstrong should bring huge excitement to the club, after spending last season on loan at Derby in the Championship. The Everton youngster impressed in the EFL Cup last month.

Middlesborough were able to keep Hayden Hackney, despite interest from Wolves this summer and they'll be looking for the young midfielder to continue to shine on Teeside this season.

David Strelec was the marquee signing over the summer, joining for an undisclosed fee from Slovan Bratislava. The striker may have to bide his time for a first start in the side, with striker Tommy Conway's hot run of form.

Preston are expecting Bournemouth loanee Daniel Jebbison to return following a month on the sidelines. Boss, Heckingbottom slammed Jebbison's personal trainer after the injury was sustained during a private training session.

As for Middlesborough defensive duo Darragh Lenihan and George Edmundson are set to have a run out for the U21 side upon their return from long-term injuries.

Watford vs Blackburn Rovers

The Hornets have drawn their last two games with the latter an entertaining two-a-piece draw with Southampton. Their opponents Blackburn, have struggled for results this season, despite a convincing win on the road to Hull in their third league outing of the season, they have lost every other league match they have played.

Watford had a poor end to last season missing out on the play-offs, which subsequently cost Tom Cleverley his job. A new era under Uruguayan Paulo Pezzolano has now begun making him the twelth manager of the club, since the sacking of Javi Garcia in September 2019.

Blackburn have had a challenging run of opening fixtures. Having said this, they would have expected to pick up more than three points from an available twelve. Only West Brom managed a top half finish last season out of their first four league opponents, with Birmingham being a newly promoted side.

Watford playmaker Chakvetadze is expected to return this month and it could be this Saturday, with reports of the midfielder back training with his teammates.

Nampalys Mendy signed on a free in the summer. The former Leciester midfielder could make his debut at Vicarage Road at the weekend. Max Alleyne is also expected to keep his place in the back three after joining on loan from Manchester City last month.

New Blackburn skipper Todd Cantwell has managed two goals this season despite his side sitting in 19th place. That's one less then the attacking midfielder managed the whole of last term.

Rovers are without central defender Sean McLoughlin after he was shown a straight red on the stroke of half-time in their last league outing against Norwich. Adam Forshaw is likely to return to the squad after missing the last month of action.

Stoke City vs Birmingham City

A West-Midlands derby awaits on Saturday as Stoke welcome Birmingham to the Bet365 stadium. The home side are 3rd in the league and following a faultless start, they were beaten by West Brom in their last fixture.

The visitors have had a positive return to the division after a year away. After some tough opening fixtures Chris Davies' side should be ecstatic to be sitting in the top half.

Stoke have really recruited well this summer. Sorba Thomas has hit the ground running since joining from Huddersfield. Aaron Cresswell has shown his experience of playing in the top flight with West Ham and has positively impacted the dressing room since his arrival.

Lewis Baker has performed well in the opening weeks of the season with striker Million Maneheof causing havoc for opposing defenders. New arrivals, Lamine Cisse and Tomas Rigo are expected to feature on Saturday, although Steven N'zonzi and Sam Gallagher aren't likely to be fit in time.

A Birmingham player they were never going to let go this summer was Cristoph Klarer. The club captain won player of the year from centre-half last season.

Despite suffering a knock to the shoulder last time out against former side Leciester, Demarai Gray is expected to make a full recovery in time for their trip to Staffordshire. A player that is still doubtful is Jay Stansfield who is recovering well from an ankle injury.

Sheffield Wednesday vs Bristol City

After a poor start to their season, Sheffield Wednesday fans have little to shout about, as they are yet to record a win in the league this season. Their opponents Bristol City have a record that makes for much better reading. Two wins and two draws, The Robins are undefeated going into Saturday.

Wednesday have had a very quiet summer transfer window as far as incomings were concerned. Losing Josh Windass and Djeidi Gassama, with no obvious replacement has seen The Owls struggle this season.

Barry Bannan looked set to leave in the summer, after training with his boyhood club past expiry of his contract in June. Instead the experienced midfielder reportedly stayed at the club, despite not recieving his salary during this time and an eventual agreement over new contract terms was agreed at the start of August.

Bristol City have recruited very well on the other hand. Striker Emil Riijs played a blinder against Hull City last time out contributing two goals.

Manchester United loanee Radek Vitek has kept one clean sheet, but also shown his shot-stopping capabilities making 16 saves this season. With last season's number one Max O'leary absent since pre-season with an ankle injury, the Czech international has really stepped up for Gerhard Struber's side.

Young Wednesday defender Gui Riqueria is expected to miss the rest of the season with a leg injury after being key in The Owls EFL Cup campaign so far.

Bristol City new signing Stephan Negru isn't yet fit to be involved and midfielder Ryan Howley has recently sustained an injury that needs to be assessed further. Cam Pring is still out for a few weeks following his injury in pre-season.

The visitors have scored four goals on two occasions already this season with Sheffield Wednesday conceding the second most in the league. Not a stat that The Owl's fanbase will want to concentrate on this weekend.

West Brom vs Derby County

West Brom failed to make the play-offs last season, but an unbeaten start in their first four games, bodes well for a promotion charge this year. Derby County cannot say the same however, as their winless run has put the pressure on manager John Eustace to get results.

The early signs have been very promising at The Hawthorns this season. Nat Phillips has helped The Baggies look more assured at the back, playing a vital role in the two clean sheets they have kept since his arrival from Liverpool. Isaac Price has also impressed playing in the number 10 position.

Derby can feel encouraged by their 2-2 draw against Ipswich last time out in the league. Their issue stems from leaking goals this season, conceding a total of 11 which is the joint most in the division.

Despite a promising transfer window in an attacking sense that included arrivals of Rhian Brewster, Carlton Morris and Andreas Weimann, it is their backline that have been letting them down. Morris has netted a total of 4 goals this season, the joint-second highest in the league.

Karlan Grant is expected to be sidelined for another few weeks after being one of the brightest sparks in recent seasons for West Brom.

The Rams welcomed Ageymang and Salvesen back to training this week offering real encouragment to boss Eustace. Curtis Nelson is still out until next month, with Blackett-Taylor and Sondre Langas close to a return, although still unlikely to be ready against West Brom.

Wrexham vs QPR

Wrexham's story has been utterly mesmeric to say the least and their rise from the National League is a story that will be told for generations. Their start to the season has been very challenging however. QPR have also struggled so far and have shipped a significant amount of goals in their opening four games.

Wrexham were the centre of attention before the season commenced. Anticipation built as they prepared for their first season in the second tier of English football in over four decades.

They were quite unfortunate not to pick up points in their league opener to Southampton. Two late goals from the home side meant The Red Dragon's efforts were all in vain.

However their last outing away to Millwall was a very solid performance, with summer signing Kieffer Moore getting on the scoresheet once again.

As for QPR, their 7-1 defeat to Coventry was a very below-par performance from the West London side. They were able to bounce back from their horror show display with a win at home to Charlton before the international break.

The Red Dragons have been very busy in the transfer market. Conor Coady was brought into the defence and Luke O'Brien made the switch to the Welsh side, and he has been excellent since arriving from Nottingham Forest scoring two league goals for his new side.

QPR signed Richard Kone who has scored two goals this season since arriving from Wycombe. Isaac Hayden also made the switch to Loftus Road, the former Newcastle star hasn't yet nailed down a first team spot since his arrival. Kwame Poku joined from Peterborough, but a hamstring injury has meant he has missed most of the season.

Wrexham had goalkeeper Danny Ward stretchered off in their clash with Millwall. He suffered a dislocated elbow and is set to miss the next four months, with the incident knocking the welsh star unconscious.

Arthur Okonkwo is expected to start in this one. Thomason, Windass and Broadhead could all be ready to return to the side in time for Saturday.

QPR defender Larkeche sustained an ACL injury in training last month and is out for a lengthy period. Jimmy Dunne made his first start of the season against Charlton, which was a huge boost for The Hoops.

Swansea vs Hull City

After losing their opening game of the season to Middlesborough, The Swans have managed to pick-up some impressive results since. Hull have lost their last two league games and will be hoping to put that right in South Wales this weekend.

In a month where they beat Sheffield United and drew to Watford, it was in their last league fixture where it appeared momentum was building. Zan Vipotnik shone in the victory against Sheffield Wednesday in their last match, getting a goal and an assist in the 2-0 triumph.

He's more than staking his claim for a continued starting spot, following the deadline day arrival of Adam Idah from Celtic.

The opposition's striker option Oliver Mcburnie returned to England following a stint in La Liga with Las Palmas. Although the former Blades star has contributed a goal and three assists this season, it has provided little consolation to him and his teammates as results haven't gone their way.

Swansea boss Alan Sheehan will have a near full strength squad available to him at the weekend, whilst Liam Millar has been back in training with the Tigers this week after almost a year out with an ACL injury.

Coventry vs Norwich City

After hitting QPR for seven on matchday 3, it is no surprise that Coventry are the leading goalscorers in the divison and the only side to reach double figures for goals with 14.

Norwich have had a mixed bag of results under manager Liam Manning and they will be hoping for more of the same as their last league outing away to Blackburn as they were 2-0 victors.

This game hopefully promises some goals as Josh Sargent the divison's topscorer with 5 goals has been prolific this season. Coventry's Haji Wright and Victor Torp are sitting just behind the Norwich man on the scoring charts with 4 apiece.

Coventry have made the play-offs twice in the last three seasons and have intentions of taking the next step into the top flight under manager Frank Lampard this season. Although not the busiest of transfer windows, the clubs best bit of business was keeping their best players from last campaign.

The away side are entering a very difficult run of fixtures that includes Wrexham, Stoke and West Brom so will be hoping another win on the road will help there chances over the September period. Serbian Mirko Topic has been solid at the base of The Canaries midfield since his arrival from Portuguese side Famalicao.

The hosts fullback Jay Dasilva is expected to miss the match on Saturday after he suffered an ankle injury over the international break. Tatsuhiro Sakamoto was subbed on for a second appearance of the season in the last fixture against Oxford following a short period on the sideline and may start this game.

For the visitors, Jack Stacey is back available for selection after being concussed against Middlesborough, but it's too soon for Lucien Mahovo to be included despite returning to training.

MW5's Saturday Recap

That concludes Saturday's review of the EFL Championship fixtures. Some thrilling ties to keep an eye on this weekend as a whole host of ex-Premier League sides face-off. Middlesborough hope to continue their hundred-percent winning record away to Preston as they look for further breathing space to second placed West Brom. The Baggies will fancy their chances against a struggling Derby County side.

Both Stoke and Leicester can go level on points with Boro, should they lose at Preston with the former sides both needing wins for that to be the case. Wrexham can enter the top half with a victory against QPR and Lampard's unbeaten Coventry look to contain a dangerous Norwich with a brilliant away record.

As always this weekend's Championship action promises not to disappoint.

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist

Theo Nicholson

Writer

You May Also Like
See more
Football Park's 2025/26 EFL Championship MW6 Preview

Football Park's 2025/26 EFL Championship MW6 Preview

Football Park's 2025/26 Enterprise National League MW9 Saturday Preview

Football Park's 2025/26 Enterprise National League MW9 Saturday Preview

Friday's European Football Preview: Sevilla Host Elche & Marseille Looking To Bounce Back

Friday's European Football Preview: Sevilla Host Elche & Marseille Looking To Bounce Back

Videos
See more
Argentina's Massive Talent Pool | Off The Bar Podcast Episode 4 ft. Nacho Z
Seb & Colin Welcomes their first guest ‪@soynachoz‬ where they chat all things South American Football | Off the Bar Podcast Episod
Gyokeres Already a Failure? | Off The Bar Podcast Episode 3
Is Gyokeres already a flop? 🤔 VAR in the Championship & the West Ham Situation | Off The Bar with Colin & Seb Episode 3
Olise to win the next Ballon D'or | Off The Bar Podcast Episode 2
Did Dembele Deserve the Ballon D'or? 🏆 Olise the next winner? & players mental health! | Off The Bar with Colin & Seb Episode 2
Latest In News
See more
Wantaway West Ham Forward Sparks Striker Merry-Go-Round - Who is Going Where?

Wantaway West Ham Forward Sparks Striker Merry-Go-Round - Who is Going Where?

Transfer News

"When I Become a Coach..." - Thiago Silva Sets Lofty Post-Retirement Career Goal

"When I Become a Coach..." - Thiago Silva Sets Lofty Post-Retirement Career Goal

Latest News

Sunday European Roundup: Thin Margins, Heavy Consequences

Sunday European Roundup: Thin Margins, Heavy Consequences

European News

Join our newsletter

Become a part of our community and never miss an update from Football Park.