EFL 4/1 Acca | Gab Sutton

Burnley lost 3-0 at Preston North End in the FA Cup last time out, but goalkeeper James Trafford’s return for league action should mean a return to clean sheets – the Clarets are yet to concede in 1,090 minutes of league football.

Closing in on a similar record to that of Edwin van der Sar for Manchester United in 2008-09, Trafford shot at the Premier League last season came too soon for him, but he’ll surely be ready for the level next time around.

It’s not just the former Manchester City youngster, though: Maxime Esteve has forged an impeccable understanding with CJ Egan-Riley in central defence, likewise with Connor Roberts and Bashir Humphreys or Lucas Pires as part of the whole unit.

Cardiff could only dream of such foundations, although a vibrant performance in a 1-1 draw at Plymouth Argyle, a 1-0 victory over relegation rivals Hull, and an encouraging display in the 2-0 FA Cup loss at Aston Villa will boost their confidence as Omar Riza’s side look to put space between themselves and the bottom three.

Wycombe’s 1-0 loss at Birmingham on Saturday lunchtime, realistically, ended whatever feint hopes they’d had of catching their hosts in the race for automatic promotion – a six-point gap, having played a game more, might have been just about bridgeable, but a 12-point gap puts the title beyond them.

The outcome, though, hasn’t changed their position in the race for second too dramatically, with closest rivals Wrexham failing to beat Bolton meaning the gap has only been cut from three points to two.

The other plus for new head coach, Mike Dodds, is that Richard Kone managed 15 minutes off the bench, and while Daniel Udoh has proved a decent stand-in, there’s no question that the Chairboys’ top goalscorer brings a different level of quality to the attack.

Visitors Burton know what it’s like to be without their best forwards, having suffered from the absence of Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Rumarn Burrell in Saturday’s 1-1 home draw with out-of-form Mansfield, a game they could just as easily have lost by three or four goals on the balance of chances.

Port Vale have been boosted recently by returns to the squad for forwards Rico Richards and Lorent Tolaj, while Ronan Curtis has struck up a nice understanding with Antwoine Hackford in the absence of target man Jayden Stockley.

A 1-1 draw at Tranmere last time out looks like dropped points on paper, but it’s a decent result considering the awkward timing of the fixture, extending Vale’s unbeaten run to nine league games.

Plus, youngster Kyle John has starred at right wing-back since coming in for Brandon Cover, now at Fleetwood, while star midfielder George Byers – key to Sheffield Wednesday’s League One promotion in 2022-23 – is now getting back from injury.

As such, this trip is a daunting one for Harrogate, who have pulled 10 points clear of the drop zone thanks to two wins in three.

* Odds correct at the time of writing. 18+ only. GambleAware.