Birmingham (7th) v Charlton (4th) Goalkeeper Kevin Poole makes his debut after Ian Bennett broke three bones in his hand. The main selection poser for manager Trevor Francis is whether to go for goals by playing Paul Furlong, Dele Adebola and Peter Ndlovu in a three-man attack in their bid for the final play-off place. Charlton striker Steve Jones is available after suspension and sickness. But manager Alan Curbishley may stick with Mark Bright and Clive Mendonca up front. Midfielder Keith Jones is expected to be fit after recovering from a septic leg. Last season: Birmingham 0-0 Charlton, Charlton 2-1 Birmingham Last 5 League matches: Birmingham D D W W W Charlton W W W W W Top scorers: Paul Furlong (Birmingham) 19; Clive Mendonca (Charlton) 25 Match odds: No fixed odds available Ref: RJ Harris (Oxford) Bradford (12th) v Portsmouth (20th) Jamie Lawrence is out after breaking a cheekbone in training but Darren Moore and Wayne Jacobs are hoping to return. Pompey captain Adrian Whitbread (knee) and Greek international Michalis Vlachos (ankle) will both have late fitness tests. Pompey's top scorer John Aloisi returns after a one-match ban but midfielder Alan McLoughlin is out with a knee injury. Last season: Bradford 3-1 Portsmouth, Portsmouth 3-1 Bradford Last 5 League matches: Bradford W L L D L, Portsmouth D L L L W Top scorers: Robert Steiner, Edinho (Bradford) 11; John Aloisi (Portsmouth) 12 Match odds: H 7-4 A 6-5 D 12-5 Ref: G Cain (Bootle) Huddersfield (15th) v Port Vale (21st) Huddersfield full-back Thomas Heary makes his first start since the opening day of the season while club captain Andy Morrison returns after three months out with a knee injury. Vale's former Swedish international Jan Jansson is back in contention after a back strain. Martin Foyle is expected to be selected ahead of Tony Naylor in attack, partnering Lee Mills. Last season: Huddersfield 0-1 Port Vale, Port Vale 0-0 Huddersfield Last 5 League matches: Huddersfield D W L W L Port Vale W D L L L Top scorers: Marcus Stewart (Huddersfield) 16; Lee Mills (Port Vale) 15 Match odds: H 7-4 A 6-5 12-5 Ref: FG Stretton (Nottm) Ipswich (5th) v Crewe (13th) Kieron Dyer is back in training after an Achilles tendon injury. Tony Mowbray has recovered from a groin strain but Mark Venus is expected to keep his place in a defence which has conceded one goal in five matches. Crewe have doubts over in-form striker Colin Little, who has bagged four goals in his last two games. Fit-again Mark Rivers is on standby. Last season: No corresponding fixtures Last 5 League matches: Ipswich D W W W W Crewe W L W L W Top scorers: David Johnson (Ipswich) 29; Colin Little (Crewe) 12 Match odds: H 8-15 A 5-1 D 12-5 Ref: RD Furnandiz (Doncaster) Middlesbrough (2nd) v Oxford Utd (11th) Boro captain Nigel Pearson is fit for what could be his last-ever game - he will retire at the end of this season. The 34-year-old centre-half, out for six matches with a knee injury, replaces the suspended Steve Vickers. Phil Gilchrist, an ex-Middlesbrough player, is set to return to bolster Oxford's defence after missing two games with a groin injury. Last season: No corresponding fixtures Last 5 League matches: Middlesbrough W W W W D Oxford Utd L W D D L Top scorers: Alun Armstrong (Middlesbrough) 20; Joey Beauchamp (Oxford Utd) 19 Match odds: H 2-9 A 6-1 D 9-2 Ref: PR Richards (Preston) QPR (18th) v Bury (19th) Rangers defender Keith Rowland could return after missing two months with a gashed leg. Bury striker Rob Matthews will need a lightweight cast on a broken wrist, but should play. Apart from Matthews and season-long casualties Dean West and David Pugh, manager Stan Ternent has a full squad to pick from. Last season: No corresponding fixtures Last 5 League matches: QPR D D D D D Bury D L W L L Top scorers: Mike Sheron (QPR) 11; Tony Ellis (Bury) 15 Match odds: H 11-10 A 13-5 D 7-4 Ref: AG Wiley (Burntwood) Reading (24th) v Norwich (16th) Royals striker Jim McIntyre is still struggling with a leg injury picked up during last week's 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest. If he can't make it, Paul Brayson will play. Norwich, who dumped manager Mike Walker on Thursday, aren't likely to make changes from the side that beat Swindon 5-0 last weekend. Last season: Reading 2-1 Norwich, Norwich 1-1 Reading Last 5 League matches: Reading W L L L L, Norwich L D W L W Top scorers: Carl Asaba (Reading) 12; Craig Bellamy (Norwich) 12 Match odds: H 5-4 A 6-4 D 11-5 Ref: EK Wolstenholme (Blackburn) Stockport (9th) v Sheff Utd (6th) Stockport boss Gary Megson will stick with the team that won at Wolves last Saturday. Tony Dinning, who broke a leg at the Stadium Of Light just two months ago, could get a place on the subs' bench. United's Graham Stuart and Roger Nilson are both struggling after picking up injuries in Thursday's defeat at Crewe. Last season: No corresponding fixtures Last 5 League matches: Stockport L W L D W, Sheff Utd D D W L D Top scorers: Brett Angell (Stockport) 23; Dean Saunders (Sheff Utd) 16 Match odds: No fixed odds available Ref: CR Wilkes (Gloucester) Stoke (22nd) v Man City (23rd) Stoke will make late checks on striker Dean Crowe (cracked fibula) and defenders Steve Tweed (groin) and Danny Tiatto (hamstring). Georgi Kinkladze will fly back from Georgia's friendly in Tunisia to help City's bid to beat the drop. Kevin Horlock, Gerard Wiekens and Richard Jobson are doubtful. Last season: Stoke 2-1 Man City, Man City 2-0 Stoke Last 5 League matches: Stoke L W L W L Man City W D L L D Top scorers: Peter Thorne (Stoke) 14; Shaun Goater (Man City) 19 Match odds: H 6-4 A 11-9 D 12-5 Ref: MC Bailey (Impington) Swindon (17th) v Sunderland (3rd) Swindon striker George Ndah is struggling after the tendinitis in his knee which has plagued him since a £500,000 move from Crystal Palace flared up again. Leading scorer Chris Hay will replace him in attack but Lee Collins, Scott Leitch and Ty Gooden are all out. Sunderland's Lee Clark is hoping to shake off a foot injury. Last season: No corresponding fixtures Last 5 League matches: Swindon L L D L L, Sunderland D D W W L Top scorers: Chris Hay (Swindon) 15; Kevin Phillips (Sunderland) 31 Match odds: H 4-1 A 1-2 D 3-1 Ref: ME Pierce (Portsmouth) Tranmere (14th) v Wolves (8th) Tranmere boss John Aldridge will make his last performance as a player but David Kelly (hip) is likely to miss out. Wolves' teenage striker Robbie Keane is out with an ankle injury and there are doubts over defenders Dean Richards and Adrian Williams but Steve Sedgley returns from suspension. Last season: Tranmere 0-2 Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton 3-2 Tranmere Last 5 League matches: Tranmere D W D L D Wolverhampton D L W L D Top scorers: David Kelly (Tranmere) 15; Dougie Freedman (Wolverhampton) 12 Match odds: H 11-8 A 13-9 D 11-5 Ref: KM Lynch (Knaresborough) West Brom (10th) v Nottm Forest (1st) Albion keeper Alan Miller (groin) will miss the final game of the season and is set for surgery next week. Paul Crichton will continue to deputise. The Baggies will check on the fitness of central defender Matt Carbon. Forest have doubts over Kevin Campbell (hamstring) and Scot Gemmill (ankle). Last season: No corresponding fixtures Last 5 League matches: West Brom W L D L W Nottm Forest W W W D W Top scorers: Andy Hunt (West Brom) 14; Pierre Van Hooijdonk (Nottm Forest) 34 Match odds: H 9-4 A 10-11 D 5-2 Ref: D Orr (Iver)

UP OR DOWN? THE MATHEMATICS   Philip Cornwall looks at all the scores to keep an eye on this afternoon. LAST week was a mixed one for Nottingham Forest. On Tuesday, Sunderland's defeat meant Forest were promoted. On Wednesday, Middlesbrough's draw made them champions. On Thursday, Dave Bassett put a price on Pierre van Hooijdonk's head, and it looks like the man whose goals have got them up won't be around to keep them there. Still, at least they can relax now. For five of the six teams below them, tomorrow could mean the end of the season bringing either joy or tears or the start of yet more nail-biting, with play-off semi-finals starting next weekend. TOP OF DIVISION ONE P Pts Gls GD Nottm Forest+ 45 93 81 +40 Middlesbro* 45 88 73 +33 Charlton* 45 87 80 +31 Sunderland* 45 87 84 +35 Ipswich@ 45 80 74 +33 Sheff Utd 45 74 69 +16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Birmingham 45 73 60 +25 + Champions * in play-offs at least, can be automatically promoted @ definitely in play-offs, cannot be automatically promoted If teams are tied on points then goals scored are used to separate teams; if that doesn't work, goal difference settles things. One key factor - none of the games which impact on promotion and play-off issues involve two teams trying to go up, or are against sides in danger of relegation. Middlesbrough v Oxford Boro are in the driving seat for promotion win this televised match and they are up. They trail Sunderland and Charlton on goals scored, though, so can't afford to be in a tie-breaker. Middlesbrough are rightly favourites, but after last season's relegation heartache they won't breathe easy until the final whistle. Swindon v Sunderland Sunderland are left kicking themselves over their dropped points and hoping that Oxford do them a favour. If they end up level should Boro lose and Sunderland get a draw Peter Reid's team will go up as they've scored more goals. Birmingham v Charlton Charlton are still in with a shot of automatic promotion, but they need both Middlesbrough and Sunderland to drop points. Birmingham still have something to play for because Sheffield United have dropped points in their two matches in hand. City need to win and have the Blades not win, as the goals-scored gap is substantial. Stockport v Sheffield United The Blades failed to win the four points they needed in mid-week to eliminate Birmingham from the play-off chase. They have one more chance to seal a play-off spot: a win and it's theirs, as it is if Birmingham fail to beat promotion-chasing Charlton. The teams can end up level if City draw and United lose, but Sheffield lead Birmingham by nine goals. DIVISION ONE RELEGATION All eyes will be on the televised game, Stoke City v Manchester City, with both teams starting the day in the relegation zone. Yet it's so complicated and close that both teams can survive if they draw, yet neither is guaranteed to stay up even if they win. P Pts Gls GD QPR 45 49 51 -11 Bury 45 49 41 -17 Port Vale 45 46 52 -14 Portsmouth 45 46 48 -14 Stoke City 45 46 42 -27 Man City 45 45 51 -4 Reading* 45 42 39 -38 * relegated Bradford v Portsmouth If Portsmouth win, they will stay up - provided Stoke do not score seven goals more than them in winning. Stoke are playing Manchester City, though, so Alan Ball will be all too aware that it is possible. If that happens, though, Pompey can stay up if their result leaves them ahead of Port Vale. If Portsmouth draw, they need either Vale to lose or a draw between Stoke and City. Huddersfield v Port Vale Vale can be relegated if they lose and Portsmouth and Stoke get at least draws, or Pompey get at least a point and Manchester City win. John Rudge's men can win and still go down if Portsmouth score five more goals in winning, or four if they win by a margin greater than that by which Vale win and Stoke perform miracles on the goals front - and Stoke are playing Manchester City. Queen's Park Rangers v Bury QPR can only be relegated if they lose and all of the following happen: Port Vale win and score at least as many goals as QPR; Portsmouth win, scoring four more goals than Rangers or winning 3-0 if QPR do not score, or winning by a three goal margin if they score only three goals more than QPR do; and Stoke City win, scoring ten goals more than the London side do in defeat, or nine more if they win and Rangers lose by enough to close the goal difference gap of 16. Unlikely, yes. But Stoke are playing Man City. Bury can only be relegated if they lose and Port Vale, Portsmouth and Stoke all win, scoring enough goals to maintain their leads over the men from Gigg Lane. Stoke City v Manchester City Stoke will stay up if they draw and Port Vale or Portsmouth lose, or if they win and Vale or Pompey do not. Only by winning and scoring a stack of goals can Stoke overtake Port Vale or Portsmouth if those clubs win (details under those two club's fixtures). They can, just, overtake QPR (see above). City can stay up if they win and Vale or Pompey fail to win, or if they draw and score enough goals to overtake those two teams on goals scored and goal difference. In fact, a 1-1 draw would be enough if Port Vale lose and fail to score and Portsmouth lose and don't score five. The one factor in City's favour is that they have the best goal difference by far of the teams involved, so they only need to get level with someone, anyone on points and goals.

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