Gabriel Sutton's EFL Weekend Picks

Five points off the top six with a game in hand, Preston North End require approximately 18 points from their remaining nine games to reach the Play-Offs.

However, the Lilywhites’ run-in involves an arduous trip to Southampton, as well as a visit from Play-Off rivals Norwich, not to mention a penultimate weekend jaunt to QPR, which could end up being even harder, through permutational reasons, than the final day hosting of leaders Leicester.

As such, dropped points at home to bottom side Rotherham are something Ryan Lowe’s side cannot afford if they want to keep their dream alive.

North End will need to show they can unlock deep defensive blocks, so the wingbacks will be key - Robbie Brady will bring the creative element if fresh after his time away with Ireland, while Liam Millar will make penetrative goalscoring runs.

Mads Frokjaer-Jensen will provide the grace and class between the lines which could be crucial against defensive Rotherham opposition, while Duane Holmes may be tasked with picking them open from deep.

Lowe’s side should have the tools they need to complete the mission, as they look to pounce on any dropped points for Norwich or Hull, who have their own home encounters with bottom half opposition, but in their cases, Plymouth Argyle and Stoke, respectively, are still alive and kicking.

The Millers, on the other hand, drew 0-0 with Huddersfield before the international break, ending a nine-game losing streak that has left them 19 points adrift.

Stockport endured a couple of minor blips across the middle parts of the season, but Dave Challinor’s side are now six unbeaten, thanks to a 5-0 thumping of MK Dons.

While the Hatters had been hit by injuries during their brief drops in form, they were able to welcome key midfielder Ryan Croasdale back for a near half-hour on Saturday teatime.

Plus, returns for Akil Wright, Will Collar, Antoni Sarcevic and Louie Barry are all within view, so County should get stronger as the finishing line emerges into sight.

Right now, they have a group of players willing to sacrifice themselves for the team – for instance, Nick Powell will never be the pure ball-winner Croasdale is, but the known-to-be enigmatic midfielder put a couple of crunching challenges in against MK as well as the obvious class he provides.

Barry is a miss, but forward Paddy Madden has found new levels with an infectious work ethic at 34, and Isaac Olaofe is getting better by the week.

A visit from Stockport is, therefore, an ominous proposition for Forest Green, who dropped to the bottom after successive defeats to Sutton and Doncaster.

The Green Devils require approximately 13 points from their remaining seven games to beat the drop, and on the last couple of performances, them finding that sort of form is hard to envisage.

Lincoln City have scored 16 goals in their last three league games, they’ve taken 26 points from their previous 10, and are unbeaten in 13.

Put simply, Michael Skubala’s side look just irresistible right now, and it’s partly down to the midfield trio of Jack Moylan, Ethan Erhahon and Danny Mandriou.

It’s partly surfaced by accident, as the losses of Ethan Hamilton and Conor McGrandles, either or both of whom would often play alongside Erhahon, looked costly.

Skubala has shown admirable adaptability, though, to hand Mandriou a deeper role, and licence to glide forward with the ball from the solid platform Erhahon provides, while Moylan skips forward to support Ben House and Joe Taylor.

House’s hold-up and link-up play is among the best in League One, while Taylor – quick, agile and ruthless in front of goal – is everything his partner isn’t, making them the perfect duo, especially with both providing an exemplary work ethic.

Taylor is enjoying a stellar spell on loan from Luton, scoring eight goals in 12 games, and six in the previous three.

Lincoln could be playing Championship football next season - with their bright form boosting Play-Off hopes - Taylor certainly will.

Both teams have scored in 72% of both Swindon and Notts County’s games, the joint-highest rates in League Two.

These sides had hoped their respective seasons would be remembered for their attacking panache, with Dan Kemp and Jake Young linking up superbly for Town, and Dan Crowley, Jodi Jones, David McGoldrick and Macaulay Langstaff bringing County’s Joie de vivre.

Instead, defensive deficiencies have seen early season promotion challenges fizzle out, albeit at a more prolonged pace for the latter than the former, into a disappointing midtable campaign.

At least, for the Magpies, their operational strength and stylistic continuity gives them optimism for the long-term, whereas Swindon look heading downhill under a Clem Morfuni ownership regime dictated by financial instability and structural secrecy.

The Robins have found the net in each of their last five league games, though, and have a threat in the speedy Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, who can be dangerous in transition as he showed in late-February’s 3-1 victory over Tranmere.

Notts County, meanwhile, can create chances at will – they just give them up at an equal rate.

Middlesbrough have taken advantage of four consecutive draws for Play-Off rivals Hull by taking 10 points from the same number of games, moving them to within seven points off the Play-Off places.

A top six tilt is still a long shot, especially with Norwich and Coventry also in the mix, the top four a done deal and West Brom unlikely to budge from fifth.

As such, Michael Carrick’s side require 20 points from their remaining eight league games, and that’s with three of the top four plus Play-Off rivals Hull still to play.

Ordinarily, a point at automatic promotion contenders Southampton would be a perfectly acceptable result, but in this instance, Boro must hope for a shock result akin to mid-February’s 2-1 win at Leicester.

That result does give Carrick’s side the faith that they can trouble the big-hitters and, having experienced defensive issues for much of the campaign, they have shipped just one goal in their last four.

Middlesbrough have been more organised of late, helped by the injection of energy into midfield of Riley McGree and Lewis O’Brien, through return from injury and January signing respectively.