The 40-year-old will lead United for a third successive Premier League match at Everton on Saturday - in arguably the club's biggest game of the current campaign.

Leeds are one place and point above the third-from-bottom Blues, who occupy the final relegation spot.

A Leeds victory would extend that gap to four points ahead of another relegation six-pointer against Southampton next weekend.

Conversely, a loss would drop United into the bottom three.

Placed in temporary charge alongside Chris Armas and Paco Gallardo following the sacking of Jesse Marsch, Skubala's work has been received well by the club's players.

Crucially, on-pitch performances have reinforced that with Leeds taking an impressive if unexpected point at Manchester United ten days ago and following up with a game display, certainly for 80 minutes, in the reverse fixture at Elland Road.

Leeds confirmed on Tuesday that Skubala would carry on in his current caretaker role - while the club continue in their search to bring in a long-term replacement for Marsch.

It was an acknowledgement that Skubala's input had bought the United board an element of time in the aftermath of being frustrated in their initial attempts to bring Rayo Vallecano's Andoni Iraola and Feyenoord's Arne Slot to the club.

That time is finite and a bad result this weekend would intensify the pressure for Leeds to resolve the issue once and for all with the situation being a fluid one.

Questioned as to whether he would be happy to be in charge on an interim basis for the rest of 2022-23, Skubala said: "I must have done a good job if they asked that.

"I suppose that will be a day-to-day discussion with the board. I'm not in a rush to have those discussions and I'm sure the board aren't.

"It sounds a bit cliched but we're just trying to do the best job we can do in a short amount of time."

Skubala's background is largely with the Football Association - he had a successful spell with the national team futsal team and has been an assistant in the England under-18 set-up - and in academy football.

He remains coy regarding the issue of full-time senior management and has stressed that he would be happy to return to his existing Leeds role as under-21s supremo if that is what the club decide.

He continued: "Never say never but I'm happy in the 21s, I'm happy supporting the first team and being a first team manager.

"Rightly or wrongly, I have no planned route in coaching, I just enjoy the job I do day to day and try to get the best out of the players, that's my intention."

Skubala and Everton counterpart Sean Dyche - who take charge of their third games for their respective clubs - shared a mutual acquaintance in the late John Duncan, with Dyche being his captain at Chesterfield when they memorably reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1997.

Skubala was director of football at Loughborough University when Duncan was manager.

Skubala said: “I’ve met Sean a couple of times, he probably doesn’t remember me. But have a similar guy that I know. He played for John Duncan, who actually worked with me a few years ago. I learned a lot from John as well.

“Sadly John’s passed away now, but he was such a good footballing man. Both of us probably come from the school of John Duncan, in ways.”

Everton v Leeds United: Michael Skubala happy to carry on for as long as he is needed in role