Wolverhampton Wanderers go into the final day of the Championship season knowing that even a convincing victory over Millwall at Molineux may not be enough for them to sneak into the playoff places.
The Lions' fate may already be sealed, but they could yet be involved in some final-day drama in what is Neil Harris's first match as permanent boss.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
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It all comes down to Saturday for Wolves in their quest for back-to-back promotions, but they enter the final day with the odds firmly stacked against them.
With the automatic promotion and relegation battles wrapped up, all eyes will be on the four teams jostling for the final two playoff places in the Championship.
Of those four teams, Wolves are in the worst position, needing two other results to go their way to stand a chance of creeping into the top six.
Kenny Jackett's side sit level on points with seventh-placed Brentford, who also came up from League One last season, but Wolves' inferior goal difference means that the Bees are in a more promising position.
Mark Warburton's side also face an already-relegated team in the shape of Wigan Athletic on the final day, and Wolves would either need to better their result or, should both teams win, make up a four-goal deficit.
In addition to that, Wolves realistically need Derby County to lose at home to Reading, with two points currently the gap to sixth place and the issue of goal difference once again being against Jackett's men.
Barring a seven-goal swing, Ipswich are out of reach of Wolves, so the reigning League One champions will be hoping for a Derby defeat and Brentford draw or loss to open the door for an unlikely passage into the top six.
They will certainly be confident of holding their end of the bargain, even if Saturday's narrow 1-0 victory over Wigan is their only win in their last four games.
Benik Afobe got the goal in that match, making it 32 for the season for him in all competitions - more than any other player in England's top four tiers. Add Nouha Dicko and Bakary Sako into the mix, and Wolves boast a 59-goal strikeforce that could cause any side problems should they make it into the playoffs.
Jackett's side have scored in each of their last 14 games and found the net 20 times in an ongoing seven-match unbeaten run at Molineux that has seen them pick up 17 points from a possible 21.
All the signs point to Wolves extending that streak, and there may be a few goals along the way, but ultimately their fate rests away from Molineux, and fans will have one eye on the iPro and Griffin Park this weekend.
Recent form: WWLLDW
Millwall
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Votes of confidence don't come much more obvious than a manager being offered a job just a day after the club's relegation was confirmed, but Harris will begin his permanent tenure at Millwall on the final day of the season.
The Lions' record scorer has overseen an upturn in results since succeeding Ian Holloway in March, but ultimately it was not enough to keep the club in the second tier.
Their fate was confirmed in Yorkshire on Tuesday night as Rotherham United beat Reading 2-1 to move four points clear with one game remaining, a result that Millers boss Steve Evans was keen to rub in the noses of the relegated Londoners.
Saturday will see them play their last match of a five-year stint in the Championship, but the appointment of Harris has at least tempered the disappointment with a tinge of optimism for the future.
Wolves showed exactly how to do it just last season, bouncing back into the second tier at the first time of asking and then launching an assault on the top six this time around. Harris has lost just three of his nine games in charge, so he will be hopeful of performing a similar feat next term.
Ten points in those nine games is as many as Holloway managed in his final 16 outings at the helm, and Harris's tally should have been even more following Saturday's dramatic 3-3 draw with Derby, a result which gave Saturday's opponents something to fight for on the final day.
A hat-trick from Lee Gregory, including two penalties, looked to have put Millwall on course for a huge three points in their bid for survival, but Derby recovered in the final 20 minutes to rescue a point.
The Lions' form on the road over the entire season has not been too dissimilar to their form at The Den, but they go into Saturday's match having picked up just two points from the last 21 available away from home, scoring only three goals in that time.
Indeed, no team has scored fewer goals on their travels than Millwall this season, and Harris may need to impart some of his own scoring wisdom if he is to pick up a first away victory in charge.
Recent form: WLWDLD
Team News
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Wolves faced a potential goalkeeping crisis earlier this week, with Carl Ikeme a doubt and Tomasz Kuszczak struggling with a groin injury.
However, the latter has recovered and will likely start between the sticks, with Ikeme not expected to feature due to a knee injury.
The shot-stopper will join Danny Batth on the sidelines, but Sako is available to start despite minor concerns over his fitness. He is again expected to team up with Dicko and Afobe, the latter of whom has seven goals in his last 10 games.
Millwall have their own in-form striker in the shape of Gregory, who will once again lead the line following his first hat-trick for the club last time out.
There are no new injury concerns for Harris, although the temptation may be there to give youngsters a run-out in preparation for a summer of change following their relegation.
Wolves possible starting lineup:
Kuszczak; Golbourne, Ebanks-Landell, Stearman, Iorfa; Price, McDonald, Sako, Henry; Afobe, Dicko
Millwall possible starting lineup:
Forde; Dunne, Beevers, Nelson, Harding; Upson, Abdou, Martin, O'Brien, Cowan-Hall; Gregory
Head To Head
The reverse fixture was one of the most memorable games of the Championship season and may be one Wolves look back on with particular regret should they fail to force their way into the playoffs.
Jackett's side led 3-0 at The Den in October, but a Gregory strike and two from Ricardo Fuller sealed a miraculous comeback in the final 25 minutes to earn Millwall a share of the spoils.
The Lions have a good recent record at Molineux too, emerging victorious from their last three league visits following a 13-match winless run.
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Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:
We say: Wolves 3-0 Millwall
No team has had more goalless draws than Millwall this season, but a ninth stalemate of the campaign is highly unlikely this weekend. Wolves will probably need goals if they are to reach the playoffs, and they have the players capable of getting them. The visitors may simply be there to make up the numbers following their relegation, but even a commanding win for the hosts is unlikely to be enough.
Barney Corkhill
