Aleksandar Mitrovic – Fulham
Probably the most obvious shout in the division but Mitrovic will be keenly contesting the all-time record for goals in the English second tier.
That was set by Guy Whittingham of Portsmouth in the 1992-93 season as he netted 42 – Mitrovic is currently on 35 with ten games remaining.
It has been a remarkable campaign for the Serbian forward who feels so at home in the second tier.
Those 35 goals have come in 34 games which essentially means having Mitrovic in the team is akin to a one-goal headstart.
Fulham are 12 points clear at the top and promotion seems to be a case of when and not if.
Ben Brereton-Diaz – Blackburn Rovers
The Chilean international was been lauded at the start of the season for his goalscoring record – since his shock summer switch of international allegiance, he became a new player.
Brereton-Diaz is still the Championship’s third top scorer behind Mitrovic and Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke but he epitomises Blackburn’s slump in form since the beginning of the year – which has seen them win just one of their last nine games, scoring only once in that period.
He went seven games without scoring before picking up an injury at West Brom in mid-February and has been out since.
Early April is set to be his comeback date and if Rovers are to earn promotion, they will need some big performances from their talisman.
Sorba Thomas – Huddersfield Town
The Welsh winger has been one of the breakout stars in the Championship this season as Huddersfield have shocked the division with their performances.
Carlos Corberan had to rely on free transfers and academy graduates in the summer and Thomas has been a revelation playing in a wing-back role.
His pace and direct running is a huge asset for Huddersfield and if he and the Terriers keep up their current form, they may find themselves back in the Premier League next season.
Ryan Yates – Nottingham Forest
This week, the tough-tackling Forest academy star penned a new deal until the summer of 2025 which was completely justified given his recent performances.
Yates has had a habit of popping up with crucial goals in recent weeks and has scored three in his last three matches.
He netted later equalisers against both Stoke and Sheffield United and has become a mainstay of Steve Cooper’s side who continue to fight for a play-off place.
Tom Lawrence – Derby County
If Derby are to do the unthinkable and survive in the Championship despite a 21-point deduction then they are going to require every bit of quality of experience from their seasoned players.
Lawrence is key to that and, to be fair to the Wales international, he has been very good for the Rams this season.
He has scored nine goals in 32 appearances and is someone that Wayne Rooney can build the team around, with the supporting cast largely consisting of inexperienced players from Derby’s youth system.
