QPR enter pivotal week, on and off the pitch

Published on Friday 29 April 2011 17:00

QPR can secure top spot in the npower Championship on the pitch this weekend, days before they head to the FA to defend it in front of a disciplinary panel.

A draw at Watford today will guarantee QPR's automatic promotion, while victory will wrap up the title, but everything will then be subject to next week's FA hearing into whether they broke rules on third-party ownership in the deal to sign Alejandro Faurlin. That hearing is due to begin on Tuesday, with a decision expected by Friday. QPR run the risk of a points deduction.

A QPR win would leave Norwich and Cardiff battling for second place, but they have to wait until Monday for their fixtures, with Cardiff hosting Middlesbrough before Norwich head to Portsmouth. Swansea and Reading are both looking strong bets for the play-offs as they head respectively to Millwall and Coventry. Millwall are one of three clubs still trying to break into the top six, along with Burnley and Leeds. Nottingham Forest hold a two-point advantage over Millwall and Burnley - and three points over Leeds - as they aim to end Scunthorpe's survival hopes today. Leeds and Burnley get the weekend action under way in a match that will all but end the play-off hopes of the losers.