Football expert predicts where Welsh clubs will finish in the Championship

Mark Walker, Press Association Football Correspondent

The Sky Bet Championship gets under way on Friday night when relegated Wolves face Blackburn at Molineux.

Cardiff host Wrexham on Monday evening in what will be a bumper season of Welsh derbies for Bluebird, Swans and Dragons’ fans to look forward to.

With the play-offs expanded from four to six teams for the first time, the Press Association takes a look at each club’s chances during the 2026-27 season.

Birmingham
Chris Davies’ side finished 10th last season, falling short of expectation after an impressive promotion, and Blues co-owner Tom Brady expects them to push on. More than £10million spent on new players this summer appears to be shrewd investment, but the pressure could mount on their manager if they make a slow start.
Prediction: Play-offs

Blackburn
Optimism is in short supply at Ewood Park after Blackburn narrowly avoided relegation last season. Tony Mowbray has returned for a second spell in charge but their squad looks weaker than it did in May, with just two new signings off-setting the departures of Sondre Tronstad, Ryan Hedges and Nathan Redmond.
Prediction: Relegation

Bolton
Back in the second tier for the first time in seven years after their play-off final win over Stockport, Bolton have struggled to add enough players with Championship experience, particularly up front, and Steven Schumacher’s squad will be competing in a mini-league at the foot of the table to avoid the drop.
Prediction: Relegation

Bristol City
New boss Michael Skubala worked wonders at Lincoln last season and has been backed by the club’s owners with the summer arrivals of strikers Dom Ballard and Lorent Tolaj. The Robins will hope to benefit from the expanded play-offs, but will fall just short in their highly-regarded manager’s first season.
Prediction: Top half

Burnley
Yo-yo specialists Burnley have tasked Belgian boss Nicky Hayen with steering them straight back to the top flight and they should be in the mix. But after the departures of key players Jaidon Anthony, Florentino Luis and Maxime Esteve, the Clarets could this time find an automatic promotion place is beyond them.
Prediction: Play-offs

Cardiff
Cardiff bounced straight back to the Championship last season and boss Brian Barry-Murphy has placed his trust in homegrown talent. The Bluebirds are closing in on several new signings to boost their young group and with that in mind they should be strong enough to avoid relegation this time round.
Prediction: Survival – just

Charlton
New signings Danny McNamara and Karlan Grant have boosted Charlton’s squad after they survived by a six-point margin last season following promotion in 2025. The Addicks will be battling it out in the lower half, but are progressing under boss Nathan Jones and should have enough to avoid the drop.
Prediction: Survival – just

Derby
The Rams finished eighth last season and will be challenging for a repeat that would be good enough for the play-offs this season. Sammie Szmodics’ return and the permanent signing of Bobby Clark will help, but the Championship is ultra-competitive and John Eustace’s side could narrowly miss out.
Prediction: Mid-table

Lincoln
The Imps are back in the second tier for the first time in 65 years after their surprise League One title triumph and have spent £10million on refurbishing Sincil Bank. But manager Michael Skubala has moved on to Bristol City and and new joint bosses Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw face a huge task to keep them up.
Prediction: Relegation

Middlesbrough
Boro have invested heavily since their play-off final defeat to Hull in May and although Hayden Hackney has departed for Everton, the arrivals of USA midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, goalkeeper Radek Vitek and striker Will Lankshear among others should see Kim Hellberg’s side challenging again for a top-two finish.
Prediction: Promotion

Millwall
The Lions were a surprise package last season, narrowly missing out on automatic promotion before losing to Hull in the play-off semi-finals, but could find it difficult to maintain their momentum after a raft of incomings and outgoings. Alex Neil’s side will challenge for the top eight before falling just short.
Prediction: Mid-table

Norwich
Optimism abounds at Carrow Road after their transformation in the second half of last season under Belgian manager Philippe Clement. Four new signings to date, including £8m winger Andre Brooks from Sheffield United, can give them added momentum as the Canaries look to improve on last term’s ninth-placed finish.
Prediction: Play-offs

Portsmouth
Pompey have finished 16th and 18th in their two seasons back in the Championship and have signalled their intentions by paying a reported £3million for striker Marko Milovanovic. Other new recruits should keep John Mousinho’s side moving in the right direction and they will expect to steer clear of relegation.
Prediction: Bottom half

Preston
A club record outlay of £6million to make Alfie Devine’s loan move from Tottenham permanent will help keep Preston competitive as they look to improve on last season’s 14th-placed finish after a poor run early last year saw them falter. Paul Heckingbottom’s side will be looking up, but the top eight is beyond them.
Prediction: Bottom half

QPR
QPR have made some key signings, including Tariq Lamptey, Glen Kamara and goalkeeper Pierce Charles, and if French head coach Julien Stephan can iron out inconsistency in his second season in charge after signing a new contract, the Hoops should enjoy a stress-free season and avoid a relegation battle.
Prediction: Bottom half

Sheffield United
Chris Wilder steadied the ship last season after a dismal start under former boss Ruben Selles, steering the Blades to a 13th-placed finish. But after limited team strengthening, plus Andre Brooks’ departure to Norwich and with Gus Hamer expected to rejoin Coventry, it is hard to see them challenging for the play-offs.
Prediction: Mid-table

Southampton
The Saints went 19 games unbeaten at the end of last season before the Spygate saga saw them thrown out of the play-offs and deducted four points for this campaign. Manager Tonda Eckert is still waiting to learn if he will be sanctioned, casting doubts over whether his side can challenge for automatic promotion.
Prediction: Play-offs

Stoke
Stoke have spent around £20million this summer on the likes of Ethan Galbraith, Milan Smit and Djibril Soumare and fans will be expecting them to challenge in the top half of the table under Mark Robins. But the Potters have not finished higher than 14th since relegation from the Premier League in 2018.
Prediction: Mid-table

Swansea
Head coach Vitor Matos guided the Swans to an 11th-placed finish last season after arriving in November and has been backed in the transfer market. Ross Stewart adds to their options in attack and if they can keep hold of Zan Vipotnik, last season’s top scorer in the Championship, a play-off challenge could be mounted.
Prediction: Top half

Watford
Watford have appointed Italian Alessio Dionisi as their 24th permanent manager in the last 14 years and have added six new signings, all from Serie A, since finishing 16th last season. The club lacks the stability needed to make an impact in the top half of the table and they will be looking over their shoulders.
Prediction: Survival – just

West Brom
The Baggies finished one place above the drop zone last season, which was one to forget as they were deducted two points and struggled under three different managers. But they turned the tide under James Morrison, who has since been appointed permanent boss, and a season of consolidation lies ahead.
Prediction: Bottom half

West Ham
Despite the sales of Matheus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville following relegation, head coach Nuno Espirito Santo and England forward Jarrod Bowen remain in place and the calibre of their squad is a class above their Championship opposition. A defiant London Stadium will also be key in their bid to bounce straight back.
Prediction: Promotion

Wolves
Wolves, back in the second tier for the first time since 2018, must quickly put a wretched season behind them, but they have also retained the core of their Premier League squad and under new manager Cesar Peixoto, plus the return of Raul Jimenez and arrival of fellow free signing Kieran Trippier, they can wipe the slate clean.
Prediction: Promotion

Wrexham
Wrexham just missed out on the play-offs on the final day in their first season back in the second tier for 44 years. Phil Parkinson’s side will be better for the experience and although it has been a relatively quiet summer under Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, a top-eight finish beckons.
Prediction: Play-offs

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