Now certain to finish third in the Championship table, Luton Town will welcome Hull City to Kenilworth Road on Monday in the final round of league fixtures before they enter the playoffs.
The hosts are 13 games unbeaten in England's second tier, while their visitors sit 14th heading into the final day.
Match preview
© Reuters
Luton Town head into the final day of the regular Championship season in high spirits, having secured third place in England's second tier with a particularly impressive campaign.
Nathan Jones left his post as manager in November, with the Hatters on 29 points from 20 games, and they have been even stronger since Rob Edwards was appointed as his successor, having put 63 more points on the board in 24 league matches under the new boss.
In that time, Luton managed 17 victories while only suffering five defeats, continuously strengthening their top-six claim as a result, and they have now cemented a position in the playoff spots with a 13-game unbeaten run dating back to mid-February, having earned 29 points in that time.
The Hatters sat fourth for the majority of that run but would eventually leapfrog Middlesbrough and climb into third spot in early April, before confirming their third-placed finish ahead of Boro with a 2-1 beating of Michael Carrick's side courtesy of a Tom Lockyer goal and a converted penalty from Carlton Morris.
Having most recently followed that triumph up with a 1-1 draw away at Blackburn Rovers, as Lockyer's 50th-minute opener was cancelled out late on, the Hatters will now look to finish the season on a high and build more momentum ahead of their bid to win promotion through the playoffs with a victory to move onto a final tally of 82 points on Monday, while also keeping an eye out for who will finish sixth and meet them in the semi-finals.
© Reuters
Their visitors also arrive hoping to cap off a relatively positive Championship season, albeit one which has ended in mid-table for Hull City, having enjoyed steady improvement since Liam Rosenior's appointment as manager in November.
In his 27 league games at the helm thus far, the Tigers have earned 37 points and scaled the bottom half of the table as a result, with the Humber outfit now occupying 14th place.
That position is largely thanks to an impressive run since mid-March, as Hull have suffered just one defeat in a run of eight Championship outings, firstly playing out successive draws with Reading, Rotherham United and Sunderland before triumphing at home to playoff-chasing Millwall.
A draw with Blackburn Rovers and a defeat away at fourth-placed Middlesbrough followed, but the Tigers bounced back with a 1-0 victory over Watford, thanks to Ozan Tufan's first-half penalty, before most recently hosting Swansea City and moving up to 14th spot with a 1-1 draw, as they initially went ahead through a Ben Cabango own goal before setting for a point as Luke Cundle drew the visitors level.
Now with a one-point lead over 15th-placed Bristol City, but no real chance to climb with Watford three points better off with a far superior goal difference, Hull will be keen to maintain their position in 14th place and go out on a high following an encouraging season.
Team News
© Reuters
With little to fight for before the playoffs, Rob Edwards should rotate his Luton side to ensure they remain fresh for the coming games, with the likes of Fred Onyedinma, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Luke Freeman and Dan Potts all in line to come in from the start, while Gabriel Osho and Reece Burke remain sidelined by injuries.
Key man Carlton Morris should continue to lead the line despite the rotations, as he aims to add to his tally of 20 Championship goals in his first season at Kenilworth Road following a summer switch from Barnsley.
He could again be joined by Elijah Adebayo, while Tom Lockyer, Sonny Bradley and Amari'i Bell should form an unchanged back three at the other end of the pitch.
Hull City will remain without several players through injury for the final day, with Nathan Baxter, Cyrus Christie, Benjamin Tetteh, Tobias Figueiredo and top scorer Oscar Estupinan all confined to the treatment room, as is Aaron Connolly, who has played the last football of his spell on loan with the Tigers from Brighton & Hove Albion.
With no recognised senior forwards available in the absences of Connolly, Estupinan and Tetteh, Ozan Tufan and Adama Traore could again form a makeshift front line with plenty of responsibility again falling on Allahyar Sayyadmanesh to provide additional support from the right wing.
Chelsea loanee Xavier Simons could come into the midfield on the final day after Regan Slater and Jean-Michael Seri were preferred last time out, although Ryan Woods and Greg Docherty are also fighting for spots in the engine room, while Alfie Jones and Jacob Greaves are bound to again partner up in the middle of a back four.
Luton Town possible starting lineup:
Horvath; Lockyer, Bradley, Bell; Onyedinma, Berry, Mpanzu, Freeman, Potts; Adebayo, Morris
Hull City possible starting lineup:
Darlow; Coyle, Jones, Greaves, Elder; Sayyadmanesh, Seri, Simons, Slater; Traore, Tufan
We say: Luton Town 2-1 Hull City
Even while rotating their squad to preserve fitness, Luton will be keen not to lose any momentum heading into the playoffs, and we see them finishing with another victory on Monday ahead of their bid to climb to the Premier League.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Sam Varley
