Leeds United urged to distance chasing pack in pursuit of the Premier League

Leeds moved back to the top of the Championship with Saturday’s 2-0 win at home to Queens Park Rangers before slipping back to second on goal difference following Preston North End’s 1-0 success at Charlton Athletic the following day.

United will have fallen back to third should West Brom have won at bottom-of-the-table Stoke City last night but on-loan Manchester City winger Harrison believes the Whites have all the required ingredients to seal automatic promotion come May.

Having already played 10 of the division’s top-half teams, six of United’s next seven opponents are in the Championship’s bottom half, leaving Harrison to stress the importance of Leeds building a cushion ahead of the promotion run-in.

Having spent nearly all of last season in the Championship’s two automatic promotion places only to fall away in the final month to finish third, Harrison knows just how important an early advantage can be.

“I think with the team that we have got and the management and the work ethic that we all have as a club, those are the main characteristics that will serve us,” said Harrison, who scored the decisive second in the win over Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

“You see how we play, we play good football, we work hard, we are ruthless when we need to be in attack and defensively as well, so we just have to try and maintain that throughout the year.

“We have been a bit unfortunate with injuries here and there and a little bit last year too, so if we can try and keep everybody fit then as long as we are playing the way that we play and we get the points that we deserve, then we can definitely get promoted this year.”

Asked about the importance of United’s next haul of games, Harrison added: “I think it’s always important that we try and approach each and every game the same way.

“We know how important it is to get points, we saw exactly what it meant last year after losing out at the very end.

“In each game we just try and capitalise on our opportunities to get points as often as possible.”

Bielsa’s side begin that sequence against 16th-placed Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.