Sunderland handed injury boost for Millwall as Leeds United return claim made

The Championship season is about to restart, with Plymouth Argyle and Watford getting us back underway on Friday night. Millwall and QPR will get back to it on Saturday, with the Lions taking on leaders Sunderland the Hoops Stoke City.

We are now entering an important phase of the season, with no more international breaks until March, and by the time that rolls around, we will have a clear idea of which teams are fighting for what. Ahead of this weekend’s action, we have rounded up all the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding the second tier.

Sunderland boosts

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has confirmed that Adil Aouchiche and Abdoullah Ba are both in contention to face Millwall this weekend, with the Black Cats getting a couple of big boosts amid a suspension crisis at the Stadium of Light.

“They are in the first-team group,” Le Bris has said. “They were a little bit far from the main selection, but they trained properly, they played good with the U21s, and their mindsets are very good. So they are ready to be selected.”

Phillips on Leeds return

Ipswich Town star Kalvin Phillips says there may have been a possibility of rejoining Leeds United had they won the playoff final last year, ultimately losing to Southampton.

“I went to that game [play-off final] and was devastated they didn’t go up,” Phillips told the East Anglian Daily Times. “Obviously I wanted Leeds to get promoted. It’s a club very close to my heart. Even if Leeds had been promoted and Ipswich had maybe come up in the play-offs then it still would have been a very close call as to where I’d have gone because I just love the story of Ipswich.”

Prutton on Robins

Sky Sports pundit David Prutton believes recently sacked Coventry City boss Mark Robins will be back in football in no time. He said on the Essential EFL Podcast: "I texted him, and he's having a well deserved rest, he says.

"He'll be snapped up before you know it. He's a very, very good man. Ironically, given where Coventry find themselves, he's probably the manager that Coventry need right now."