THE promotion picture is becoming clearer with each passing week and Wanderers are in the thick of the action at the business end of League One.

But, while his side are one of the division’s movers and shakers, Phil Parkinson knows several teams are yet to force their way into the reckoning, meaning no let-up from here to the end of April.

Three months into the campaign Wanderers occupy fourth place, are preparing to face Sheffield United in the FA Cup and, although their latest outing ended in defeat at Peterborough, collected full marks from the previous five league games.

And Whites boss Parkinson expects the front runners – including his side – to continue to lead the way as the season rumbles on, with a few sides who are yet to join the fray, including this afternoon’s opponents, Millwall.

“I suppose at this stage of the season you think most of the best teams are up there, though there have been a few slow starters in the season,” he said. “I would say Millwall are in that category, you’d expect them to be in and around it.

“Charlton might respond to their managerial change, but you’d have looked at them as being up there at the start of the season too. MK Dons are another team with the resources too, they spent £1M on a striker (Kieran Agard) in the summer.

“They have spent a lot just on strikers so you’d expect those teams to be up there.

“The better teams are at the top now but there are still some slow starters to move up – and maybe one or two over-achievers as well.”

The Whites came out on top against Millwall in mid-October, courtesy of Sammy Ameobi and David Wheater goals, but there is no denying it was hard-earned and when the sides clash again this afternoon, Parkinson is expecting more of the same.

“They’ve come into some form but before we played them the last time they’d come into some form as well and after we beat them they’ve pushed on,” he said. “I’m not surprised by that, they’re a team with the same personnel that got to the play-off final.

“They’ve had a bit of a slow start but they’re getting back to where they can be.

“They’ll be right up there at the end of the season and I’m looking forward to locking horns with them again.”