Poised for a push up to the top two

The positioning of the two international breaks is coincidental, of course, but they do serve as useful markers with which to divide up the season and there can be little doubt that the last such gap did Charlton more harm than good.
But if that sticky patch turns out to be their only real bad run of the campaign, it would put them in a great position to push for an automatic promotion slot. Manager Alan Pardew's teams traditionally finish the season stronger than they start it, while the squad he has assembled should be able to cope with inevitable injuries.
The Charlton boss is well aware that his side are now entering one of the most critical periods of the season, with nine games in just over six weeks left this calendar year. Five of those matches are away trips and that run includes tricky ties against Sheffield United, West Brom and Ipswich Town.
But while Pardew may have understandable concerns over the ability of his players to maintain their recent good form after a two-week break, he can at least be buoyed by the form of key men. Chris Iwelumo, in particular, is beginning to justify his manager's faith and his two last-minute goals against Southampton and Bristol City could prove priceless.
The backline appears far more settled these days too, with Sam Sodje slotting in well alongside Jonathan Fortune and Danny Mills making the right-back slot his own. Charlton fought off competition from the likes of Barcelona, Lazio, Celtic and Aston Villa to bring Yassin Moutaouakil to The Valley over the summer but the young Frenchman may find the former England international a formidable obstacle in his path to regain his first-team place when he returns to fitness.
On the other side, Charlton now appear to have real strength in depth at left-back. Ben Thatcher's troublesome knee injury looks likely to keep him out of contention for some time but Chris Powell is nearing a return. Yet the emergence of Grant Basey has meant that neither of the above has been overly missed.
Charlton's main strength lies in midfield, although Pardew would be well advised to steer clear of the temptation to flood the centre of the park with attacking players. With the likes of Andy Reid, Luke Varney, Jerome Thomas, Zheng Zhi, Lloyd Sam and Darren Ambrose at his disposal it's easy to see the attraction but Charlton have produced their best performances this season with Jose Semedo or occasionally Therry Racon protecting the defence.
Barring long-term absentees such as Svetoslav Todorov and Thatcher, only Powell is likely to be missing from this weekend's visit to Preston North End with former captain Matt Holland pushing for a first-team recall. The experience of both those players could prove vital in the months ahead.
The biggest challenge for Charlton if they are to have any hope of securing a top-two finish is to find the kind of consistency they have only hinted at in parts this season.
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