Craig David set to make triumphant return to Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart after 16 years

Plus there are 17 new albums heading for this week's Top 40, including Bon Iver, The Shires and Solange.

Craig David is on course to make a glorious return to the top of the Official Albums Chart this week.

The star’s sixth album and first in six years, called Following My Intuition, is leading the way at the halfway stage of the chart week and it set to claim this week’s Number 1.

If Craig holds on to his position until Friday’s Official Chart reveal (October 7), it’ll be his first chart-topping collection since his debut album Born To Do It debuted at Number 1 in 2000. Check out his complete Official Chart history here.

MORE: See this week's Top 100 Official Albums Chart Update in full

He faces competition from US indie folk band Bon Iver, who are currently at Number 2 with their new album 22, A Million. The group’s third studio record is 3,500 combined sales behind Craig David on today’s Official Chart Update.

Also vying for the top spot this week are UK country duo The Shires. Their second album My Universe is at Number 3, while a deluxe edition release of Radiohead’s A Moon Shaped Pool has sent it back up the chart, vaulting 81 places to Number 4.

New entries and high climbers

Four more albums could be landing in this week’s Top 10: Van Morrison’s Keep Me Singing (5), Slaves’ second LP Take Control (6), the sixth album by The Pixies called Head Carrier (7), and Sorceress by Swedish metal band Opeth (9).

Another ten new albums are on track to enter this week’s Top 40. Believers, the 18^th album from Scottish band Deacon Blue, starts at 12, blues guitarist Joanne Shaw Taylor is set for her first UK Top 40 album with Wild (13), and British singer-songwriter Banks is new at 15 with The Altar.

US Southern rock band Drive-By Truckers land at 17 with American Band, Dutch metal band Epica open at 23 with The Holographic Principle, Beat ft. Ranking Roger are at 25 with Bounce, and Another Fall From Grace by gothic rockers Mission is at 26.

Finally, Regina Spektor’s seventh album Remember Us To Life (28), Solange’s A Seat The Table (29) and Eric Clapton’s Live In San Diego (35) could all earn a pace in the Top 40 this week.