Coventry City are rock-bottom of the Championship, seven points adrift of safety, and the Sky Blues need to start picking up points sooner rather than later if they are to avoid the drop.

However, Andy Thorn’s side could well struggle this weekend as they entertain Middlesbrough, who have a formidable record away from the Riverside Stadium.

Tony Mowbray’s Boro slumped to a 2-0 loss at home to a resurgent Burnley last time out and the north east outfit will be desperate to get back to winning ways to put the pressure on Southampton and Cardiff.

Boro are 11/10 to secure an eighth victory on the road in the Championship this season, and considering Coventry’s recent record Mowbray’s men should be able to take all three points.

The Sky Blues have managed just one win in their last 14 fixtures and to compound their woes key striker Lukas Jutkiewicz has moved on, to Boro.

Jutkiewicz is 3/2 to score any time and 11/2 to open the scoring, both of which are certainly worth some consideration.

Doncaster Rovers have become a hard side to beat at the Keepmoat but their away form is abysmal, with two wins and eleven losses from their 13 matches to date.

Dean Saunders’ side travel to Bristol City and will struggle to get anything out of the Robins at Ashton Gate. Bristol City, who have seven points from the last 12 available on home soil, are priced at 5/6 to secure the victory over the struggling Yorkshire side.

Brighton have lost three of their last four away games and could be set for another defeat when they travel to Peterborough on Saturday afternoon.

The Posh have scored 27 goals at London Road this season, a record only bettered by league-leaders Southampton, while the Seagulls have hit the back of the net just eight times on their travels this season.

Posh are priced at evens to seal the win and record their seventh home win of the campaign to date.

Nottingham Forest face a daunting trip to West Ham as they continue their battle against the drop and Forest’s woes look set to continue at Upton Park.

The City Ground side have managed to pick up more wins on their travels than they have on home soil this season but with West Ham seeking to secure promotion they face a tricky tie in east London.

Forest boss Steve Cotterill has no new injury or suspension concerns, but he remains without a number of key players, including influential midfielder Chris Cohen.

West Ham are 4/7 to seal the win and move to the top of the table, as Southampton don’t play until Monday.

The Hammers are the 6/5 favourites to win the Championship title, Southampton can be backed at 9/4 and Sam Allardyce’s side are 1/3 to secure promotion, either through a top-two finish or the play-offs.

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Manchester City v Bayern Munich

Many expected big-spending City (9/4 To Qualify) to take the Champions League by storm this season, but it’s not happened so far and they are on the brink of a group-stage exit. Roberto Mancini’s men need to win on Wednesday and hope that Napoli suffer defeat at Villarreal.

The Premier League leaders have won just two of their five group games to date and suffered a comprehensive defeat in Munich back in September. Their form in Europe has been unrecognisable to their unbeaten run domestically and the pressure and quality of opponents will cause them more problems this week (Match Betting – City 8/13, draw 3/1, Bayern 9/2).

Bayern look like the real deal this season, a side that could make it to at least the last-four of the competition. The German giants are the fourth top scores in the Champions League this term, with 11 goals in five matches, and are unbeaten in Group A.

The Bundesliga outfit, who have already qualified for the last 16, have been critical of the way City appear to be buying their way to success and the full strength squad selected for the Eastlands clash, suggests they won’t to kill off City’s chances.

The Blues hopes rest largely on Sergio Aguero (6/5 To Score At Anytime), whose pace can cause a Bayern defence lacking in pace, a few problems. But pace on the break from the visitors will have City wary and could ultimately prove the downfall of Mancini’s men.

Basle v Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men need just a point in Switzerland to make the knockout stages, but that sounds easier than it is likely to be for United (1/6 To Qualify). The Premier League champions have won just two of their five European ties this term – with both victories coming against Group C whipping boys Otelul Galati.

United have looked out of sorts in recent weeks and have struggled for goals, scoring just one goal in each of their last seven league games. They did score two against Benfica in their last group encounter, but also conceded two to take qualification down to the last game (Match Betting – Basle 5/1, draw 14/5, United 8/13).

With Javier Hernandez, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen all sidelined, and Danny Welbeck just returning from injury, a lot of pressure sits on the shoulders of Wayne Rooney (7/2 First Goalscorer). United though have shored up at the back since the return of Ferdinand and Vidic and their defensive strength is likely to see them through this stern test.

Basle, who claimed a 3-3 draw at Old Trafford, have lost three of their last six Champions League home games and the experience of the visitors may prove too much for the home side, who need three points to qualify.

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Sparks always fly when the old rivals meet and there have been three sendings off in the last three meetings, so expect more fireworks at Anfield this Saturday.

Liverpool v Man Utd (12:45)

The home side have won the last three meetings at Anfield, including a 3-1 success last year thanks a hat-trick from Dirk Kuyt. Prior to that, United had won 1-0 in the two previous seasons and, as ever, it looks a difficult one to call.

The midfield could be the key to success, in what is likely to be a physical encounter. United’s new set-up in the middle of the park has impressed so far this term, with Anderson taking a staring role.

Liverpool, on the other hand, have frequently shuffled their pack in the midfield, some times with success and at other times, like at Tottenham, they have been over-run.

But the likely return of Steven Gerrard could prove a crucial factor in favour of Kenny Dalglish’s men.

Suggested Bet: Draw H/T / Liverpool F/T @ 5/1

Man City v Aston Villa (3pm)

Two unbeaten teams meet at Eastlands and it seems likely that something will give, as Roberto Mancini’s men look to close the gap on city rivals United.

Carlos Tevez may have returned after his club suspension this week, but his presence is unlikely to have any detrimental effect on City who will be missing Sergio Aguero.

The home side have won all three of their home matches this term and Villa have lost on their last five trips to City – enough said!

Suggested Bet: City to win @ 4/11

Norwich v Swansea (3pm)

Two newly-promoted teams go head-to-head at Carrow Road and both have shown that they are capable of staying up this season.

A win here for either team could prove crucial, even at this early stage, for their hopes.

The Canaries have won one, drawn one, lost one on home soil this term, while Swansea have lost all three of their away games.

Those fixtures were though at Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City and they are good enough to get something from this game.

Norwich won this game 2-0 last season, but Brendan Rodgers’ squad is a stronger unit now.

Suggested Bet: Draw @ 9/4

QPR v Blackburn (3pm)

Neil Warnock’s side have already proven to be the most unpredictable team in the top flight so far, while Blackburn have, at times, looked the weakest.

Sandwiched inbetween a 4-0 home defeat to Bolton and 6-0 thrashing at Fulham, the R’s have picked up eight points and looked an improving side.

Meanwhile, Rovers have picked up just one point from three away games and are relying heavily on Yakubu to deliver the goals to keep them up.

Suggested Bet: DJ Campbell to score at anytime @ 13/8

Stoke v Fulham (3pm)

The Cottagers collected a shock win at the Britannia Stadium last season and go into this clash in good form.

A 6-0 win over QPR will have boosted confidence in the Fulham camp and the return to form and fitness of Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora is massive.

Stoke are unbeaten at home and that includes the visits of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United.

Tony Pulis’ men will have welcomed the international break, with their hectic schedule, and may prove too strong for the visitors.

Suggested Bet: Stoke to win @ 6/5

Wigan v Bolton (3pm)

This is normally a tight local derby and following disappointing starts to the season from both clubs, expect more of the same on Saturday.

Wanderers have not won at the DW Stadium since 2007 and the last four league meetings have produced just two goals.

The first goal, if there is one, is likely to prove crucial in this clash.

Suggested Bet: 1-1 Draw @ 11/2

Chelsea v Everton (5:30pm)

Everton have been stewing over the Merseyside derby defeat for a fortnight and so expect them to respond with a big performance at Stamford Bridge.

David Moyes’ men are unbeaten in their last six matches with Chelsea and will feel they can take something from this game – especially with Jack Rodwell available.

Chelsea will face their toughest home test of the season to date and although they appear to have plenty of goals in them, they will miss the suspended Fernando Torres.

Suggested Bet: Draw @ 7/2

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Craig Levein’s side looked as if they were on course for a crucial victory against the Czechs but a questionable penalty awarded by referee Kevin Blom following Jan Resek’s tumble in the box gave Michal Kadlec a chance to level the scores, handing Michal Bilek’s side a point.

To add further insult to injury, the Scots themselves were denied a spot-kick in the closing minutes leaving them bitterly frustrated. The Tartan Army will be hoping Darren Fletcher and his men can channel this anger in a positive manner and get the three points required against an improving Lithuanian side.

Fletcher will undoubtedly be one of the Scot’s key players, driving the team forwards and doing all he can to ensure the victory. The Manchester United man was much derided during the early stages of his career but is now seen as one of the nation’s premier midfielders and with both Charlie Adam and Scott Brown missing through injury and suspension respectively, Fletcher will be looking for a big performance.

Scotland will also be without star striker Kenny Miller who is banned following his yellow card at the weekend meaning Blackburn’s David Goodwillie (4/1 first goalscorer) is likely to be the man charged with leading the line for Levein’s side. The former Dundee United forward has only played once for his country but has the talent to fire them to victory on Tuesday night.

After a decent start to their qualifying campaign, which included an away victory against the Czechs, Lithuania’s (11/2 for the win) form has hit the skids in recent times and their last two fixtures have seen them pick up just a point from two games against minnows Lichtenstein.

Their most notable player is surely Hearts winger Arvydas Novikovas who has been one of the SPL’s brightest stars for the last few seasons. The left-footer has both pace and ability and could cause the Scottish rearguard some major problems.

Another name to lookout for is the skipper Tomas Danilevicuis (7/1 first goalscorer) who despite his age, still has an eye for goal and will be looking to make an impact in what could be one of his final matches for his country.

Following their encouraging performance on Saturday, the Scots will be expecting a comfortable win against the eastern Europeans and will be doing all they can to close the gap on the Czechs going into the final two games of qualifying.

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Scotland

Last year in Prague, the manager opted for a surprising 4-6-0 formation – which backfired when they were defeated 1-0 thanks to a header from Roman Hubnik – but there will be no repeat this time around as Scotland strive to get closer to that second spot in the group.

The Tartan Army need maximum points to keep themselves in with a realistic shot of winning a play-off place as runners-up to runaway Group I leaders and world champions Spain, so the return of skipper Darren Fletcher comes at just the right time.

The Manchester United man is going into the game woefully short of fitness – he has only played twice since being hit by a mystery infection back in March – but Scotland are not blessed with many world class midfielders so his guile and determination will be a massive boost.

Levein has also included Charlie Adam (10/1 First Goalscorer) in for his first competitive start and the Liverpool man should add the class and skill to Fletcher’s running to ensure Scotland are really competitive in the middle of the park.

Elsewhere, Alan Hutton is in at right back and Kenny Miller (5/1 First or Last Goalscorer) will start up front alone in what looks a strong Scotland squad on paper. The vast majority of the starting line-up plays in the Premier League, with three from the SPL and only one from the Championship – and that is something Scottish fans have not always been able to boast in recent years.

The Czech Republic (9/5 to win, draw 23/10 90 Minutes) come into this game smarting after a 3-0 friendly defeat to Norway last time out and they are without Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, meaning one of the untested duo of Jan Lastuvka or Jaroslav Drobny will be between the sticks.

There remains some real talent among the Czech ranks with the likes of Arsenal star Tomas Rosicky and former Liverpool man Milan Baros (6/1 First Goalscorer) the real familiar faces to British football fans. Elsewhere though they are full of European pedigree and there is a core of the unit from Czech champions Viktoria Plzen – who recently made it into this season’s Champions League.

Scotland recorded a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic in Levein’s first game in charge back in March 2010, thanks to a goal from Scott Brown who will also start at Hampden on Saturday, and they need to go out confident in search of another victory (5/1 Scotland 1-0 Correct Score).

Nothing but a win for Scotland on Saturday, and also against Lithuania on Tuesday night, will be enough if they want to make the Euro 2012 play-offs. But Levein has a talented squad at his disposal and they should have enough to get wins in both games, especially as the Czechs are not the force they were in the days of Poborsky, Koller and Nedved.

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Barcelona

Hercules lack the strength and power of their legendary namesake and have gone five games without a victory in La Liga, including four losses.  After just one season in the Spanish top flight it is looking increasingly likely that the Alicante outfit are heading back down and coach Esteban Vigo has a real task on his hands if he is to lead his team to safety.

Osasuna visit the Estadio Jose Rico Perez on Sunday and they look set to pile more misery on a beleaguered Hercules side.  The Pamplona outfit are still in the relegation mix themselves but have improved of late – taking seven points from their last three league fixtures and winning the last two. Osasuna are priced at 21/10 to take the points and this looks a decent bet, all things considered.

Levante have shot up the Spanish table with just one loss – at the hands of Real Madrid – in their last nine and they travel to strugglers Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday.  Despite Depor’s precarious position, they should be too good to go down and their problem this season has been too many draws, especially at home.  Levante will fancy their chances but could well be left frustrated and the draw, priced at 9/4, could well be the best bet from this particular fixture.

Meanwhile in Italy, Roma’s decision to axe Claudio Ranieri appears to have been a wise choice and they’ve now gone four games unbeaten since parting company with the likeable former Chelsea boss.

They do face a stern test this weekend though, with a trip to an improving Fiorentina side that have won their last two and are unbeaten in four.  Granted, La Viola have hardly set Serie A alight this season, but they still have some talented individuals and could well cause Roma a few problems, but following a Rome derby victory they should be full of confidence.

It should be a tight game between these two Italian giants, who have both endured stuttering campaigns, but Fiorentina could just edge it and at 7/5 they are a very good price to keep their (extremely) slim European hopes alive with victory.

Udinese have been on fire of late and they’re in with a chance of bagging a spot in next season’s Champions League.  Catania arrive at the Stadio Friuli on Sunday and they will struggle to get anything out of a Udinese side who have won five of their last six.  At 2/5, Udinese are heavy favourites but this particular clash is, on paper anyway, the very definition of a ‘home banker.’

Napoli are Udinese’s main competition for a spot amongst Europe’s elite next season and they host Cagliari, who seem set for a mid-table finish.  Napoli, at 4/7, should be too strong for Cagliari and as they continue their push for a top-three finish.  If you’ve got the confidence that these two in-form sides have the ability to grab victories, a Udinese/Napoli double pays out at 2.20 (6/5).

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With Everton currently in 11th, but with a game in hand on most teams, it looks like David Moyes’s side – on 33 points – have done just about enough to stay up but everyone from 12th (Aston Villa) down could yet get dragged in.

Villa’s (1/150 to stay up) form since Gerard Houllier took over has been frustratingly inconsistent but, with the likes of Stewart Downing, Gabby Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and Darren Bent in their squad, the midlanders surely have far too much quality to go down. A win at Bolton on Saturday will probably put an end to any lingering doubts over their Premier League future.

Equally, Fulham (1/40) look to have too much to be caught in a relegation scrap come early May and the deserved 1-1 draw at Man City on Sunday shows Mark Hughes’s side will pick up enough points between now and the end of the season to maintain their top-flight status for another year at least.

The Cottagers host Blackburn (1/9) on Saturday and, if Rovers slip up away from home again, then they will begin to look worryingly over their shoulders. They still have tough games to come against title-chasing duo Manchester United and Arsenal and third-placed Man City are yet to visit Ewood Park. Wins against fellow-strugglers Blackpool and Birmingham in the next month or so will be absolutely vital or a nervous finish to the season awaits.

Out of all the sides currently in the bottom six, Blackpool (8/15) would be most neutrals’ choice to stay up, such has been the way the Seasiders have entertained in their debut campaign in the Premier League. However, wins against the likes of Liverpool and Spurs mean nothing if your defence is constantly leaking goals and, sadly for Ian Holloway, that has been the case for the past month. We reckon Blackpool will just about stay up thanks largely to their form in the first half of the season but it would be no surprise if they have to wait until the last day to make sure of safety.

So that leaves us with just two from the final five at the bottom to pick from to avoid the drop – and this is where it becomes tricky.

West Ham’s (5/6) win over Liverpool on Sunday was a huge boost for Avram Grant’s side but they must reproduce that form over the next month if they are to get out of the mire in a season in which one encouraging performance has then often been followed by a dreadful one. However, there is certainly goals in Freddie Picquionne, Demba Ba and Victor Obinna while Scott Parker and the fit-again Thomas Hitzlsperger should win enough midfield battles in the coming weeks to secure some more vital wins.

Birmingham (4/7) have a couple of games in hand on their rivals due to their Carling Cup run but how they now react to Sunday’s memorable triumph will be key to whether the Blues stay up. Certainly if they approach the games they have left in the same manner they did at Wembley then surely survival is guaranteed.

The worry for Alex McLeish is that plenty of teams in the past have switched off when winning the League Cup thinking their season has been a success already but the wily Scot will not let that happen and we envisage a final-day draw at Spurs will keep them up.

So by our reckoning, that leaves West Brom (5/6), Wolves (4/7) and Wigan (12/5) as the teams who, come May, could be forced to face up to the prospect of second-tier football once again.

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James Collins

The Welsh couldn’t have made a worse start to their qualifying campaign, losing their opening two matches to Montenegro and Bulgaria, failing to score a goal in both.

Defeat in the opening game with Montenegro (11/1 to win Group G) saw the end of John Toshack’s time in charge of the Wales (50/1) team.

Brian Flynn has taken over on a temporary basis and built up Friday’s match against Bulgaria as a must win contest.

The former Wrexham boss also promised the Welsh public goals but failed to deliver as the Bulgarian’s came away from Cardiff City Stadium with a 1-0 win.

Flynn must now try and pick up his disillusioned players for the game against Switzerland, who are also winless from their first two matches.

The caretaker boss will be without some key men for the trip to Basel with skipper Craig Bellamy absent along with Sam Ricketts, Chris Gunter, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Collison, Joe Ledley and Robert Earnshaw, most of who would have started on Tuesday night had they been available.

To make matters worse Wales haven’t won on Swiss soil for 12 years as they look to avoid losing their first three qualifiers for the first time in 40 years.

Collins has almost admitted defeat in their bid to reach a first major championship since the 1958 World Cup, claiming they can’t expect to be in the Ukraine and Poland in two years time when they have lost their first two matches.

“Miracles are needed to if we are to get second place in this group,” said Aston Villa defender Collins.

“And we can’t expect to qualify after losing our first two qualifiers.

“Everyone has to up their game and performance.

“And being one of the older players, I must show some of the younger boys how and lead by example.”

Wales fans will certainly be hoping for a better performance from the one they got on Friday night when a lacklustre team was punished by a well organised Bulgarian outfit.

Despite the qualification campaign being just two games old Wales appear to be on the brink of another collapse in their bid to reach a major tournament and are now 33/1 to qualify for Euro 2012.

With Montenegro on nine poins and England on six it would take a huge turnaround of fortunes if Wales are to reach Euro 2012.

However, Tuesday’s opponents are also desperate for a win, with Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld telling his side they must beat the Welsh if they are to reach Euro 2012.

“We desperately need a win so that we can release the tension and we have got to beat Wales on Tuesday to start our recovery,” said the German.

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Sir Alex Ferguson

The 31-year-old picked up the problem while on international duty with the Three Lions at the World Cup.

The injury ruled the former West Ham and Leeds centre-half out of the entire tournament, just weeks after he had returned to full fitness after a domestic season plagued by injury.

Ferdinand made just 21 appearances for United in all competitions last season as he was dogged by a persistent back problem.

Ferdinand’s injuries compounded a difficult season for Ferguson as he lost a number of his top defenders to injury, being forced to play the likes of Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher in his back four at times.

The centre-back was expected to be fit for the start of the new season but his return date has now been put back until the end of September as he struggles to get fit.

Ferguson says he isn’t worried about the amount of time Ferdinand has spent on the sidelines and believes his recovery is on course.

“We are still thinking the end of September for Rio,” said the United boss.

“It was a medial ligament problem rather than a cruciate, so the recovery time is exactly what we thought.

“It was a freak. It is nothing to do with his back. We just had to treat it the proper way. These things are never easy.”

The latest update on Ferdinand’s fitness means he will miss England’s first two Euro 2012 qualifiers in September as Fabio Capello’s men face Bulgaria (8/1 to win Group G) and Switzerland (5/1).

The injury also means that United will be without their defensive stalwart for the big game against Liverpool on September 19.

While United fans remain concerned about Ferdinand’s fitness Ferguson has moved to ease their fears over a number of other players, including midfielder Anderson.

The Brazilian has returned to training this week after a knee injury and the United boss hopes he could be back in first team contention after September’s international break.

Left-back Patrice Evra has also been given a clean bill ahead of Sunday’s game with Fulham (4/1 to beat United), the France international having fully recovered from a nasty collision with the advertising hoardings during Monday’s 3-0 win over Newcastle.

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Newcastle United

The Magpies are back in the Premier League after a season’s absence in which they dominated the Championship.

Now the North-East club are looking to utilise all the key players that helped them secure promotion last season as they look to retain their Premier League status.

Owner Mike Ashley has told Hughton that he will not be able to spend big this summer on new signings, making it even more imperative that the likes of Steven Taylor, Andy Carroll and Jonas Gutierrez stay at the club.

Hughton started as the care-taker manager of Newcastle but impressed after guiding the club back to the top flight.

The 51-year-old has stated that other clubs should look elsewhere for signings this summer.

He said:  “I can categorically say that we have not had one bid or any interest in any of our first team players and we wouldn’t welcome any either.

“There have been no offers for either Steven or Andy. They are important players for us.

“The interest that we’ve had in our players has been about the younger lads, possibly taking them on loan, and that is something that we have to decide on later in the summer.”

Newcastle have been linked with signings of their own in this transfer window.

Bolton Wanderers have reportedly turned down a £1m bid from the Magpies for the defender Jlloyed Samuel.

The 29-year-old has 12 months left on his current deal at the Reebok Stadium and the former Aston Villa player has not featured in Owen Coyle’s plans.

Newcastle could be tempted to offer an improved bid as Hughton looks to strengthen his squad with a long season ahead.

The St James’ Park club have also declared their interest in the former Bolton loan player Jack Wilshere.

The Arsenal (6/1 to win the Premier League) youngster is set to have another season on loan from the Emirates Stadium as he looks to develop his game by playing regular football.

Hughton has expressed his interest in the 18-year-old for next season.

He said: “Wilshere is a very good young player and I think young players should get the chance to mature. They are the type of players I am looking at.”

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