
Leeds United appear to be the best equipped for automatic promotion following a busy Christmas period. While Sheffield United and Burnley have stumbled, apart from a 1-1 draw against Blackburn at Elland Road the Whites have been flawless amidst a gruelling schedule during the festive period. They have come out on top and have managed to build a three-point lead at the summit of the Championship standings. They are now the odds-on favourites to play in the Premier League next season but the season will be long and hard and the road back to the top flight will not be as straightforward as it seems right now.
The Yorkshire giants do not have to look too far back to know how things could change in the Championship. Leicester and Leeds were massive favourites for automatic promotion last season but Ipswich came out of nowhere and finished second ahead of the Whites.
A playoff final defeat against Southampton at Wembley meant Leeds became the first side since 1998 to score 90 points or more and still not get promoted to the Premier League.
Last season was an outlier and if Leeds again score 90 points or more this season they are almost certain to be in the top flight next season as Sheffield United and Burnley are not as good or consistent as Leicester and Ipswich were last year.
Leeds appear to be en route to matching or even bettering last season’s points haul but they won’t be counting their chickens until promotion becomes a mathematical guarantee.
Daniel Farke will be keen to ensure that his players keep their foot firmly on the ground as there will be more twists and turns before any team can celebrate getting promoted to the Premier League.
Leeds are all too familiar with how it feels when it ends in failure and there are threats they will have to navigate before they can prepare to wear the Premier League logo again on their jerseys next season.
Daniel Farke’s penchant for a small group could stretch the Leeds United squad
The Leeds United boss did admit after the Blackburn game that his players looked tired and jaded during the game after coming through a gruelling schedule.
Jayden Bogle is recovering after suffering a dead leg on Wednesday and Sam Byram is also recuperating after struggling with his fitness against Blackburn.
The Leeds boss conceded that the recruitment team are ready to act in January if he needs players but insisted that there are no fresh long-term worries when it comes to injuries.
Farke is known for being someone who is not too keen to add players to his squad in the winter window as new faces could potentially disrupt the harmony and balance of the team.
He has said little to indicate that he is pushing to bring in players in the January window and it appears he is happy with the squad he has at his disposal.
The Leeds boss is also not a fan of tinkering too much with his team and as a result, the team looked tired against Blackburn after a gruelling festive schedule.
His penchant for a small squad and his dislike for tinkering with the team will stretch the Leeds players towards the business end of the season.
Leeds looked a bit jaded and out of ideas towards the end of last season and Farke must avoid history repeating itself this year.
They will need their injury luck to continue
Leeds have had injuries this season, which could have disrupted their campaign in the last few months. Captain Ethan Ampadu suffered a knee injury, which kept him out for a couple of months and Ilia Gruev is still some way away from returning to the team.
However, Leeds have solid cover in Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell and Ampadu has already returned to the team after recovering from his knee problem.
The Whites have somehow managed to avoid injuries to a few key players and they need that luck to last until the end of the season.
It is unclear whether Leeds can cope without Joel Piroe and Daniel James if they two pick up big injuries. Their potential cover Patrick Bamford has not inspired any confidence and Wilfried Gnonto has struggled for consistency.
Leeds also do not have proper cover at right-back and they cannot miss Jayden Bogle for any considerable length of time.
The Yorkshire giants hope that their injury luck does not run out and their best players remain fit and available for selection for the majority of the second half of the campaign.
