Championship Team of the Month for March: Harry Wilson, Djed Spence, Karlan Grant included | Football News

Nottingham Forest boosted their play-off hopes by going through March unbeaten and Steve Cooper’s side are the dominant one in the WhoScored.com Championship Team of the Month.

Promotion hopefuls Sheffield United are also represented, as are league leaders Fulham, while at the other end of the table; Cardiff, Hull and Barnsley are all represented.

Here, WhoScored.com run through their best rated XI from England’s second tier for March.

Goalkeeper: Neil Etheridge (Cardiff) – 7.19 rating

Cardiff enjoyed an impressive March as 10 points from four games saw them pull away from danger. Only Blackpool (0) conceded fewer goals than the Bluebirds (2) in March to aid their survival bid with Neil Etheridge key. He made the sixth most saves (13) in the division and kept two clean sheets from his four outings to help return a WhoScored.com rating of 7.19.

Right-back: Djed Spence (Nottingham Forest) – 8.00 rating

Nottingham Forest went through March unbeaten to aid their playoff push and they are the dominant side in the WhoScored.com Championship team of the month. On-loan right-back Djed Spence features in defence having earned a rating of 8.00 as he directly contributed to three goals in four appearances, registering two assists, to secure a spot in the side.

Centre-back: Michal Helik (Barnsley) – 7.48 rating

Of the 28 points Barnsley have earned this season, five were won in March with Michal Helik key at the heart of the defence. The Pole scored his first league goal of the campaign in their 2-0 win over Bristol City, while 29 clearances was the third-best return as Helik yielded a WhoScored.com rating of 7.48.

Centre-back: Murray Wallace (Millwall) – 7.44 rating

With a WhoScored.com rating of 7.44, Millwall’s Murray Wallace partners Helik at the heart of the defence. The Lions shipped just two goals in March with Wallace vital in repelling any aerial attack having won 22 headed battles, the eighth most in the division, to nail down his place in the team.

Left-back: Brandon Fleming (Hull) – 7.17 rating

Hull youngster Brandon Fleming rounds off the backline having returned a WhoScored.com rating of 7.17 in March. The 22-year-old was solid off the ball having made 12 tackles and interceptions combined for the Tigers to reinforce statistically calculated strengths of ‘tackling’ and ‘ball interception’ to feature.

Right midfield: Harry Wilson (Fulham) – 7.64 rating

Normally, Aleksandar Mitrovic would be Fulham’s star man in the Team of the Month, but Harry Wilson has shouldered the burden in March. The winger had a direct hand in four goals across four appearances, scoring twice, while he was one of 12 players to register multiple assists to feature with a WhoScored.com rating of 7.64.

Central midfield: Ryan Yates (Nottingham Forest) – 8.01 rating

With a rating of 8.01, Nottingham Forest’s Ryan Yates is the WhoScored.com Championship Player of the Month. Yates was excellent in March, netting in each of his three league outings, while 16 aerial duels won was also a respectable return to contribute towards his individual award win.

Central midfield: James Garner (Nottingham Forest) – 7.47 rating

Yates’ Forest team-mate James Garner joins him in the middle of the park as the on-loan midfielder garnered – no pun intended – a WhoScored.com rating of 7.47. Six key passes translated to two assists, while seven tackles was also a commendable return for the 21-year-old.

Left midfield: Jamie Paterson (Swansea) – 7.32 rating

Back in the Swansea XI, Jamie Paterson looks to be making up for lost time. Indeed, he had a direct hand in three of Swansea’s seven league goals in March, providing two assists, with nine key passes the seventh-best return in the division to help secure a WhoScored.com rating of 7.32.

Striker: Morgan Gibbs-White (Sheffield United) – 7.54 rating

Morgan Gibbs-White was one of only five players to pick up multiple WhoScored.com man-of-the-match awards in March, earning the accolade in victories over Middlesbrough and Barsnley. Gibbs-White had a direct hand in four goals in his five league outings, scoring twice, as the Sheffield United player features on the frontline with a WhoScored.com rating of 7.54.

Striker: Karlan Grant (West Brom) – 7.48 rating

West Brom have shown signs they are beginning to find their feet under Steve Bruce having gone through March unbeaten, winning two of their four games. Karlan Grant was their most important player by some distance as no player scored more goals than the Baggies frontman (4) in England’s second to partner Gibbs-White in attack with a WhoScored.com rating of 7.48.