Ed Sheeran set to return to Number 1 with x ahead of Wembley Stadium shows

Ed Sheeran’s x is heading for a fourth stint at Number 1 in this week’s Official Albums Chart, which takes its new Friday slot for the first time this week.

Ahead of his three sold-out Wembley Stadium shows, which begin on Friday, Sheeran could be on course to return to the top spot for the first time in six months.

x first topped the chart upon its release in July last year, and has spent a total of 12 weeks at the summit to date.

The album - which features Number 1 singles Sing and Thinking Out Loud - has sold over 2 million copies in the UK so far and was both the fastest and biggest selling artist album of 2014.

London hip-hop duo Krept & Konan are on track to score this week’s highest new entry with their debut album The Long Way Home (2). The pair previously entered the Top 20 with their 2013 mixtape Young Kingz and last week made their Official Singles Chart debut with Top 10 Freak of the Week feat. Jeremih.

Reigning chart-topper Lionel Richie & The Commodores’ The Definitive Collective slides two places to 3 midweek, trailed by James Bay’s Chaos and the Calm (4) and Taylor Swift’s 1989 (5).

New entries

Saint Raymond is set to make his first Official Albums Chart appearance on Friday with debut LP Young Blood (7), while Lucy Rose is on course for a second Top 20 with Work It Out (8).

Jack Savoretti’s Written in Scars climbs 29 places to re-enter the Update Top 40 at 16, trailed by new entry Ezra Furman’s Perpetual Motion People (21).

Following the release of documentary Amy, Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black is set to re-enter the Top 40 this week, as are Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy (29) and Neil Diamond’s All-Time Greatest Hits (34).  

See today's Official Albums Chart Update Top 40 here (from 4pm)