Five things to look out for in EFL: Promotion pushes past and present

Are you ready for the big day? No, not that one, there are still 19 more sleeps and, if all else fails, garage forecourts offer all sorts of things that can be shoved into a festive gift bag on Christmas Eve.

We are talking about another Saturday of EFL excitement where runaway Championship leaders Coventry may get a glimpse of Christmas past at Ipswich and an East Midlands dust-up has two sides who could be heading in opposite directions.

Some of those who missed the boat in the FA Cup first round will also be in action.

Here are five things you may want to keep an eye on in the EFL this weekend.

The chase is better than the catch, sang Motorhead's late-lamented frontman Lemmy and maybe those heavy rock fans among the Ipswich squad might be humming that particular tune when lining up against Coventry on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

These are heady days for Sky Blues fans with records being broken on a seemingly weekly basis as Frank Lampard's side set a ferocious pace at the top of the Championship.

A Premier League return which is, so far, 24 years in the making, looks even for the most beaten down of cynics increasingly possible.

Ipswich thought all their Christmases had come at once when winning promotion to the Premier League but, four wins, 24 defeats and 82 goals conceded later, they still bear the scars of what a trip to the top table so often means for those 'lucky' enough to get there.

There is a feeling in Suffolk they still have not shaken off the hangover, even if the Tractor Boys are just outside the play-offs places and only five points off second.

It does seem a bit Grinch-like to try to spoil the party before the bunting has even gone up but this Christmas past v Christmas present meeting might prove whether they are holding the Ace of Spades.

Leicester City in League One? "You have lost your mind," said Foxes midfielder Jordan James this week.

A quick glance at the Championship standings would maybe point towards the Wales international being sound in his assumption with Leicester seven points clear of trouble and only five adrift of the play-off places.

But there is the spectre of a potential points deduction for alleged breaches of spending rules which could plunge them into trouble.

"The players we have got are Premier League players and it will show. I genuinely believe that," James told BBC Radio Leicester.

It might be wise not to mention Luton, Sunderland, Wolves and Swindon Town at this moment.

With Foxes boss Marti Cifuentes under increasing pressure amidst a run of five defeats in their past nine games a Saturday trip to East Midlands rivals and a much-improved Derby (12:30 GMT) may not be his first choice.

Defeats by Watford and Middlesbrough, with a win at Swansea sandwiched in between, may have slowed the Rams' progress but they remain only three points outside the top six and four places and six points better off than this time last season.

Form is temporary, class is permanent but, anyway, without looking can you name the sides second and third in the form guide behind Coventry in the Championship?

If you said Birmingham and Southampton go to the top of the class.

Birmingham's 13 points from a possible 18 have propelled them into the play-off picture and a victory at Southampton on Saturday (15:00 GMT) would push them into the top six.

The Saints' sacking of boss Will Still at the start of last month brought the required reaction with his interim replacement Tonda Eckert producing four successive victories which was ended by defeat at Millwall last weekend.

These two will have eyed the play-offs as a minimum requirement before August, and this weekend's meeting might be a pointer as to whether they have the class to realise that ambition.

Yes, I know we spoke about them last week and no, there is no Millwall bias, but the Lions are difficult to ignore at the moment.

A 97th-minute winner against Southampton last weekend pushed them up to third in the Championship, making Saturday's trip west to face Bristol City, who are sixth, a tasty treat between promotion pretenders (15:00 GMT).

"Millwall do the basics ever so well, the fundamentals," former Middlesbrough and Stoke full-back Tommy Smith told the BBC's EFL podcast 72+.

"There are some teams that neglect that and it's really frustrating to see as an ex-player - those fundamentals and basics can get you to be a successful team."

Bristol City's brush with the play-offs last season won't live long in the memory with many Robins fans - losing 6-0 on aggregate to Sheffield United is not one for the highlights reel.

But a change of head coach has hardly seen them miss a beat as here they are again among the play-off challengers.

With boss Gerhard Struber's high-energy, high-pressing approach their campaign has ebbed and flowed and with games to come against Millwall, Leicester, Coventry and Middlesbrough over the next fortnight this feels like a pivotal moment.

When you are knocked out of the FA Cup early there's always a chance you'll be twiddling your thumbs over the second-round weekend.

But six teams have found a way to occupy themselves with some rearranged fixtures - and they're big ones.

Having not won a home game in League One since 6 September there might not be many Plymouth Argyle fans thanking their club for filling their Saturday lunchtime with a home meeting against a Bradford City (12:30 GMT).

The Bantams have only been beaten once on the road this season and might end the day top of the table.

"I know exactly where it is going wrong, putting that right is going to take a lot of work and obviously everyone pulling in the right direction," said boss Tom Cleverley after a 3-0 home loss to Northampton last weekend left them second from bottom.

Two of League One's big hitters may have expected to be otherwise engaged in the cup competition, but instead leaders Cardiff and highly-fancied Huddersfield will try to take advantage of their rivals having other priorities (12:30 GMT).

Colchester or Gillingham will move into League Two's play-off places with the pair's meeting (12:30 GMT) the only game in the fourth tier and the Essex side looking to make it four consecutive league wins for the first time since March.

BBC Sport will have extensive live text coverage of the weekend's EFL action, staring with Hull City v Middlesbrough on Friday.