Wales’ EFL Picture


Wrexham have been automatically promoted, while Cardiff, Newport and Swansea are sitting comfortably in mid-table, so which Welsh players have interests left on both ends of the EFL tables?

Starting with the Championship and what is starting to become a battle royale for the two automatic promotion places.

At the moment, Ipswich sit top on 89 points only one point ahead of Leicester and two ahead of Leeds in third. Southampton sit three points further back on 84 points in fourth.

Ipswich and Leeds both have three games remaining, having played 43 times in the championship, one more than Leeds and Leicester.

The Tractor Boys boast a three-strong Welsh contingent with Nathan Broadhead, Wes Burns and Kieffer Moore, but haven’t won since the 1st of April after Jeremy Sarmiento’s 97th minute winner in a 3-2 victory over Southampton.

Since then, they’ve struggled for goals with only one in their last three games, while Burns has been absent since mid-March due to a hamstring injury, although there are hopes he will return before the end of the season.

Ipswich don’t play this weekend and will be keeping an eye on other results before they travel to play-off chasing Hull on the 27th of April.

They then stay on the road at eighth placed Coventry before hosting relegation candidates Huddersfield on the last day of the season.

Whilst they have a week off this weekend, second placed Leicester will be hoping to leapfrog them at home to West Brom.

With their superior goal difference, if they avoid defeat against the fifth placed Baggies they will retake first place, a position they’ve held for the majority of the season.

Danny Ward is the soul Wales representative in the Foxes’ squad, although he is yet to appear for them this season, with Wales’ number one having fallen down the pecking order domestically.

Leicester have three home games remaining including the one against West Brom with promotion rivals Southampton along with Blackburn Rovers visiting the King Power Stadium either side of a trip to Preston North End.

They will be glad of home comforts having lost 1-0 in their last two games, both on the road at Millwall and Plymouth Argyle.

Leeds in third, boast a core of Welsh players with Ethan Ampadu, Dan James, Connor Roberts and Joe Rodon all based at Elland Road.

Like Ipswich, Leeds haven’t won in their last three, losing at Coventry before drawing 0-0 at home to Sunderland and then a 0-1 defeat against Blackburn at Elland Road.

Next up, they travel to Middlesbrough on Monday night and continue on the road as they head southward to face Queens Park Rangers before finishing with Southampton at home on the final day.

In contrast to the three teams above them, Southampton have won each of their last three, with Wales’ David Brooks on loan from Bournemouth to the fore with a couple of assists.

However, undoubtedly they have the toughest run-in, travelling to Leicester and Leeds.

They will know they need to get wins at Cardiff on Saturday and at home to Stoke on the 27th while hoping to take points from the King Power and Elland Road.

At the bottom of the table, Jordan James’ Birmingham are fighting to avoid the drop, currently sitting a point and one place above the relegation zone.

They had a resounding 3-0 win against Coventry last time out and travel to already relegated Rotherham before a crunch test at Sorba Thomas’ Huddersfield who currently sit just a point behind before a home clash against play-off chasing Norwich on the final day.

Dropping down to League One, and while Portsmouth have already been promoted as champions, three teams are fighting for the other automatic promotion spot.

Derby currently sit on 86 points, Bolton on 83 while Peterborough are three points further back with a game in hand.

Bolton’s Aaron Collins has been consistently overlooked by Wales and is yet to be capped at senior level, but after signing from Bristol Rovers in January he has played a crucial role in Wanderers’ run-in, scoring five goals in their last four games, while Josh Sheehan has been a constant in midfield.

Wanderers host relegation candidates Port Vale before a huge clash on the final day away at Peterborough.

Elsewhere, Jonny Williams and Gillingham are just three points off the play-off places in tenth, with an eight-team fight for just two play-off positions.