Reading hold the final ticket to the Championship play-offs in their hands ahead of the final day of the season on Saturday.

Victory at home to already-promoted Burnley will see the Royals secure at least sixth place, but they know they cannot afford a slip with Brighton only one point behind.

But while Burnley have already turned their thoughts to life in the Premier League next season, former Saints boss Nigel Adkins is not expecting an easy ride as his side bid to join Derby, QPR and Wigan in the play-offs.

"Burnley did very well when we played up at their place," he said. "We're facing a team who's just been promoted, they will come to our place and give us nothing. We've got to be right at it.

"The mind-set has to be to win. We won our last home game, won on Saturday and showed we can come from behind. We'll work hard on the training ground, be right mentally and it's going to be a great day."

Waiting in the wings are the Seagulls, who travel to Nottingham Forest hoping to find themselves in the play-off mix by the day's end.

Experienced defender Matt Upson has warned his team-mates and the fans that all their attention must be on Forest, because without a result Reading's scoreline will become irrelevant.

"We've just got to worry about our end of the bargain," he told the club's website. "We've must go out there and leave everything on the pitch and what will be will be.

"Obviously we'd love to win the game and know we have done everything we can to force the issue, but it's a little bit out of our hands in terms of the Reading result, but it's a massive game and we've just got to approach it in the right way."

At the other end of the table, Birmingham are in desperate need of a result as they sit in the final relegation place, looking likely to join Yeovil and Barnsley in League One next season.

A 1-0 defeat to Wigan left survival out of Birmingham's hands, although a victory away to Bolton could go a long way to keeping them in the division.

"We have to go to Bolton now and get a result and hopefully at least one other result goes in our favour," boss Lee Clark said.

"I have been amazed in the two years that I have been at this club with the support from the terraces.

"That is who I am gutted for in all this. They deserve better. They don't deserve to be in this position."

If Birmingham picked up at least a point, Doncaster would need an unlikely result away to champions Leicester, who need a point to move into triple figures for the season.

Paul Dickov's side are one point above Birmingham with a significantly worse goal difference.

"We've got a one game season, if we win, we stay up; simple," Dickov told the club's website. "If we get a draw, Birmingham have to win so we know fully the way we want to go and there's a massive determination from within the club to do that."

Millwall and Blackpool are not safe yet, two and three points clear of Birmingham respectively and again with worse goal differences. Millwall are at home to a Bournemouth side who have seen their play-off hopes ended while Blackpool host a Charlton side only just clear of trouble themselves.

Third-placed Derby will warm-up for the play-offs with an away trip to mid-table Leeds, while QPR are at relegated Barnsley and Wigan make the short trip to face a Blackburn side who could, theoretically, pip both Reading and Brighton to sixth place but only with a series of results which would see them overhaul a seven-goal difference to the sides above them.

Sheffield Wednesday will wrap up their season at Ipswich while Watford host Huddersfield and Middlesbrough make the long trip to relegated Yeovil.