Bournemouth have the chance to regain their place at the top of the Championship table when they host Huddersfield Town at Dean Court this weekend.

With incumbent leaders Middlesbrough in FA Cup action on Saturday, a draw would be enough for the Cherries to move back to the summit just days after losing top spot, but Eddie Howe will want maximum points from his side to pile the pressure on those around them.

Bournemouth slipped down to second in midweek having been held to a 2-2 draw in their top-of-the-table clash with Derby County, while Middlesbrough edged past Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.

Just one point now separates the top three in the table, but the Cherries are the only one of those teams in Championship action this weekend, so have the opportunity to steal a march on their rivals.

With only two defeats in their last 20 league outings, Howe will feel confident that his side have the ability to see out the remaining 16 matches and clinch an unlikely automatic promotion place, although he will know that they can't afford to take anything less than maximum points from games like this weekend's.

Interestingly, Bournemouth have picked up more points on their travels than they have at home this season, but they have still lost only once since September in the league at Dean Court.

They usually get the first goal in front of their own fans too, but Howe will be slightly worried that his side have lost a league-high 19 points from winning positions this season.

Bournemouth were unchanged yet again for the draw with Derby and could field the same XI for the fourth match in a row this weekend, with Yann Kermorgant having bagged two assists for Matt Ritchie and Callum Wilson respectively.

That goal moved Wilson on to 15 for the season, two of which came in a 4-0 rout of Huddersfield on the opening day of the campaign - a match that also saw him miss a penalty and spelled the end of Mark Robins's time in charge of Town.

They may have feared the worst after such a poor start, but Huddersfield now look set for another season free from the worry of relegation, with seven points separating them from the bottom three despite a midweek defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Terriers were well beaten on their own patch on Tuesday, falling to a 4-1 defeat to continue their inconsistent form so far in 2015.

Chris Powell's side have alternated between wins and losses in every match so far this year - not exactly a manager's dream, but they do now sit just one point off the top half of the table.

Their away form was their biggest problem for much of the campaign, but that has improved in recent weeks, with back-to-back victories on the road for the first time this season, albeit against the struggling pair of Wigan Athletic and Millwall.

Tommy Smith made his return to the side in the Wolves defeat after being knocked unconscious in the recent derby match against Leeds United, and he is once again expected to start this weekend.

Huddersfield will also be boosted by the return of top scorer Nahki Wells from suspension, but Joe Murphy and Joel Lynch both remain sidelined and Jonathan Hogg is still a doubt.

Bournemouth:

Form in Championship: LWLWWD
Form in all competitions: WLLWWD

Possible starting lineup: Boruc; Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels; Ritchie, Arter, Surman, Pugh; Wilson, Kermorgant

Huddersfield:

Recent form: WLWLWL

Possible starting lineup: Smithies; Smith, Hudson, Wallace, Robinson; Scannell, Coady, Butterfield, Bunn; Wells, Vaughan

Sports Mole says: 3-0