Ipswich Town could enhance their chances of finishing in the top six when they travel to Ewood Park to take on Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.
The Tractor Boys are among the frontrunners to displace the incumbent Reading from the coveted sixth place by the end of the season, and their hopes of doing so have been boosted by the faltering form of the teams around them in recent weeks.
Ipswich are the form team from the immediate contenders, with Reading winning just two of their last eight, Nottingham Forest without a win in 10 and Brighton & Hove Albion having not won in four.
Mick McCarthy's men, meanwhile, have only lost one of their last five outings, winning three to give themselves a real chance of ending the campaign in the top six.
Their run-in is relatively kind, with only Burnley to play from the teams currently above them in the table, although the likes of Watford, Bournemouth and Sheffield Wednesday will provide a tricky end to the campaign.
If they are to make it into the playoffs, then they will need to keep up their recent improvement away from home, where they have won their last two games without conceding having not won on the road since the turn of the year before that.
The team have coped well without the services of injured top scorer David McGoldrick so far, while the news that Jonathan Williams has extended his loan spell at the club is a big boost for McCarthy.
Blackburn's own playoff hopes appear to be all but over following a run of four consecutive draws which has left them seven points behind the top six.
Bournemouth's late charge and the form of the teams above them could give Blackburn some hope, however, and a five-match unbeaten streak is not the worst base to build upon for an unlikely push in the final seven games.
However, Gary Bowyer is more likely to be looking at next season now, with a remarkable set of results needed for them to enter the playoff reckoning at this stage of the season.
High on his list of priorities will be improving his side's form at Ewood Park, where they have won just once in their last six matches. They have by no means had the easiest fixtures in that time, but having been ahead in four of those matches, Bowyer will be unhappy that his side have been unable to close out the victories.
The good news for Rovers is that Jordan Rhodes is back amongst the goals, and he will lead the line again on Saturday in a side that is likely to be missing Ben Marshall and Jason Lowe through injury.
Recent form
Blackburn: LWDDDD
Ipswich: LWLWWD
Possible starting lineups
Blackburn: Robinson; Keane, Kilgallon, Hanley, Spurr; Dunn, Williamson, Evans, Conway; Cairney; Rhodes
Ipswich: Gerken; Chambers, Berra, Smith, Cresswell; Anderson, Skuse, Hyam, Nouble; Williams; Murphy
Sports Mole says: 1-2
No Data Analysis info
