Dan George
BBC Sport at the Kassam Stadium

Image source, BBC Sport

Good evening from the Kassam Stadium where the relentless rain has halted for now.

In terms of games for 23rd-placed Oxford United, they don't get much bigger than tonight as they welcome Norwich City, who are six places above them.

As is the case with the Kassam, you get a view of the car park to the left where you can see fans heading to the pubs and bars after dropping off their cars.

The car park fills up quickly on a matchday but thankfully I was able to get a spot before the rush, and am now in position with coffee in hand for this big game.

A fair few fans have already started to take their seats. It's fairly chilly and the pitch is looking a bit weathered after all the rain we have had down here recently.

Let's hope the surface holds up okay for tonight's game, in which Matt Bloomfield is still searching for his first home win as Oxford manager.

Image source, Opta/Shutterstock

Well, this table looks a little different...

For the first time since October, Coventry are no longer top of the pile as Middlesbrough's win at Sheffield United last night means they have overhauled the stuttering Sky Blues with 15 games remaining.

Tonight the focus switches to the foot of the table, with four of the bottom eight sides in action.

Gritty Oxford United will seek to claw their way back towards safety as they welcome upwardly-mobile Norwich, who are already four clear of the drop-zone.

Leicester's poor form and points deduction have left them out of the bottom three by virtue of goal difference alone, and they will seek to put some ground between themselves and Blackburn as they welcome Southampton, who could climb as high as eighth with a win.

West Brom are a point ahead of the Foxes and head to a Birmingham side who would jump into the play-off places with a win at St Andrew's.

No goals in the three Vertu Trophy games yet - although Northampton had the ball in the net, but the flag went up.

Meanwhile, Stockport have awoken from their early slumber and Ollie Norwood fires in a shot which is gathered by Ben Amos in the Port Vale goal.

Image source, Rex Features

Wigan Athletic wasted little time in dispensing with Ryan Lowe's services as manager after a 6-1 defeat at Peterborough on Saturday.

Glenn Whelan (pictured) and Graham Barrow will take interim charge for the first time tonight as they host Reading, aiming to guide the Latics to a first win of 2026 and out of the relegation zone.

Wigan say they aim to make a "swift appointment" of a head coach who "gets who we are".

The Royals, for their part, have won just one of their last five in League One under former Latics manager Leam Richardson, but were victorious on their last trip to Wigan, in March 2025.

Peterborough, whose demolition of Wigan prompted the dismissal of Lowe, travel to Mansfield this evening.

The Stags are on an eight-match unbeaten run in League One, but their last four games have all ended in draws, including goalless stalemates in their last two home matches.

Posh will be buoyed by the weekend's result but have shown inconsistencies on the road.

The other match due to be played tonight was Stevenage against Barnsley - but that was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch less than 90 minutes before kick-off.

Were you one of the travelling Tykes fans who had made their way to Hertfordshire? What are your plans now?

Image source, Opta/Shutterstock

Mansfield have drawn their past four but could leapfrog visiting Peterborough and climb within seven points of the play-off spots, with a game in hand, if they can pick up a win and extend their unbeaten run to 10 games in all competitions.

Wigan have lost five of their past six, drawing the other, and have slipped to third bottom, enough to spell the end of Ryan Lowe after Saturday's 6-1 humbling at Peterborough.

They will seek to get back on track against a Reading side who have one win in five but could move within six points of the play-off places with a win.

Image source, Opta/Shutterstock

Cambridge United's six-match winning run in League Two came to a surprise end with their first league loss since October in a 2-1 defeat at bottom side Harrogate Town on Saturday.

Neil Harris's side will, however, move into third if they win at Crawley Town, who are five points clear of the relegation zone after their run of seven points and three straight clean sheets ended with a 1-0 home defeat to Crewe Alexandra three days ago.

Harris and striker Ben Knight are nominees for the divisional awards for January, with the former Manchester City prospect directly involved in seven goals across the month, scoring five times.

One new manager could earn their first-ever victory as an EFL boss when Shrewsbury Town host Barrow, with the third-bottom hosts two points above the drop zone and one behind their opponents.

The visitors have been beaten in all four of their matches since appointing Paul Gallagher on 2 January, losing 2-1 at Notts County on Saturday for their third away defeat of that run and fifth straight setback overall.

Gavin Cowan has overseen a 0-0 draw at home to Barnet and a 2-0 defeat at Colchester United since becoming the Shrews' supremo on 29 January.

No side has bettered Salop's total of seven home clean sheets in League Two this season, but they've won one of their last six at New Meadow (D3 L2).

Stockport goalkeeper Corey Addai is being kept busy early on, as he makes a second good save of the night, this time to deny Port Vale's experienced striker Andre Gray.

Port Vale have an early chance, Tyler Magloire getting on the end of a free-kick but his header is palmed away by Corey Addai in the Stockport goal.

Meanwhile, Northampton's Kyle McAdam fires just wide of the upright as they make a good start at Wimbledon.

We're under way in all three of the Vertu Trophy quarter-finals being played tonight.

Luton against Plymouth, the remaining match, is being played on 24 February.

Image source, Shutterstock

The first shrill blasts of referees' whistles this evening will be heard in the three Vertu Trophy quarter-finals taking place.

After Swindon Town were expelled for fielding two ineligible players against Luton, the field is now entirely made up of League One teams.

AFC Wimbledon have been to this stage twice before, but no further. They meet a Northampton side who defeated them 3-1 in League One in December.

It's West Yorkshire against South Yorkshire, as Huddersfield, finalists in 2011, play Doncaster.

And 1993 and 2001 winners Port Vale, at the foot of League One, take on high-flying Stockport.

All ties kick off at 19:00 GMT.

Image source, Shutterstock

League One

• Mansfield v Peterborough
• Stevenage P-P Barnsley (waterlogged pitch)
• Wigan v Reading

League Two

• Crawley v Cambridge United
• Shrewsbury v Barrow

EFL Trophy quarter-finals

• AFC Wimbledon v Northampton (19:00 GMT)
• Huddersfield v Doncaster (19:00 GMT)
• Port Vale v Stockport (19:00 GMT)

• Leicester v Southampton
• Oxford United v Norwich
• Birmingham v West Brom (20:00 GMT)

Image source, Shutterstock

Image source, Getty Images

Good evening and welcome to a bumper bonus Tuesday night of EFL action.

The Winter Olympics might be in full swing in Italy but in here tonight the only curlers we're interested in are from 25-yards and the ice we're focused on is the thin variety which a few anxious clubs are on.

We have action from the Championship, League One and League Two for you this evening, plus three quarter-final ties in the EFL Trophy which are already under way.

Plenty to get through so let's slide right in...