EFL announce Championship play-off expansion as Wolves manager Rob Edwards reacts

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Wolves have learned there will be six play-off spots in the Championship next season, after EFL clubs approved expansion changes.

While Wolves have just recorded back-to-back victories in the Premier League to move onto 16 points, it is highly likely that the season will end in relegation.

The gap to safety is now 12 points, and although Wolves have been buoyed by the two brilliant wins against Aston Villa and Liverpool, it will still take something miraculous to get safe from here.

That is why today’s announcement about there being more play-off spots will likely have been welcomed by Molineux executives.

Wolves’ hopes of quick Premier League return boosted

Assuming Wolves do go down, this development is good news in that, there will be a greater opportunity for promotion straight back to the Premier League.

But of course, finishing in those play-off spots will now mean more competition once there.

As per the official EFL website, here is how it will work:

• The play-offs in the Championship to consist of seven fixtures
• The two winners of the eliminator ties will progress to the semi-finals (against the teams finishing third and fourth in the table). Games to be played over two legs
• The two winning semi-finalists will meet in the Championship Play-Off final
• The exact final format to be agreed later in 2026

Of course, in an ideal world, Wolves will not be needing to gain promotion via the play-offs, and instead be coming back up as one of the two automatically promoted sides.

With the progress that has been made under Edwards in recent weeks, Wolves could be well placed to do that if the club have a productive summer.

How Rob Edwards reacted to EFL play-off expansion change

Rob Edwards held his press conference today, ahead of the club’s FA Cup game with Liverpool on Friday night.

And he was actually asked by a reporter about the changes, knowing that Wolves will likely be playing their football in the second tier next season.

He said: “I’m not surprised. I think everyone in the Championship will want a better opportunity to be in the Premier League.

“I understand the format. I know the talks have been going on for a lot of this season, so I’m not surprised that that’s gone through. The play-offs are obviously an exciting way of getting promoted.

“If it gives teams more opportunity to do that then yeah, I’m not surprised that’s gone through.”

Edwards, of course, has gained promotion to the Premier League before via the play-offs, taking Luton Town up at the end of the 2022/23 season.

And Wolves themselves have gained promotion via the play-offs on one previous occasion, when they beat Millwall at the Millennium Stadium in 2003.