'Can't take anything for granted' - QPR man sends warning to Leeds United ahead of Championship clash

Queens Park Rangers defender Jake Clarke-Salter insists there will be no let off for the visit of Leeds United on Friday despite Championship safety being all but secured.

QPR enjoyed a crucial 1-0 win at home to Preston North End on Saturday, with striker Lyndon Dykes scoring the only goal of the game in the 20th minute. Marti Cifuentes’ men held on for a clean sheet and the three points took them onto 50 for the season, opening up a four-point gap on the relegation zone with two games remaining.

There are also three teams between the Rs and Birmingham City in 22nd but while another year in the second-tier is highly likely, Clarke-Salter has urged his teammates to keep fighting until it’s secured. Leeds go to Loftus Road hoping to win and pull four points clear of Ipswich Town in third.

"Saturday was a massive win for us," Clarke-Salter told www.qpr.co.uk. "It's obviously been a really difficult season - but since the manager [Cifuentes] came in, we've shown real unity and togetherness.

"But we have two massive games now and we can't take anything for granted. We need to show focus. We felt pretty solid [on Saturday]. We limited them to few chances and obviously Asmir [Begović] made a big save at 0-0.

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"But the whole team did well - we defended as a unit and I was so happy for Dykesy that he got his goal. We also kept a clean sheet and I think we've been good defensively for the last couple of months. We're happy but, as I said, we've two more massive games left to focus on."

QPR appointed Cifuentes as manager in October and after a shaky start, results have significantly improved since the turn of the year. The Rs have only lost four of their last 17 matches, a run which has seen them go from relegation favourites to closing in on survival. Leeds will take some comfort in the fact that QPR are much-improved away from home but have one of the Championship’s worst home records, with their tally of six wins better than only bottom-placed Rotherham.

The Whites finally got back to winning ways with a 4-3 defeat of Middlesbrough on Monday evening, with Crysencio Summerville at the double to bookend efforts from Patrick Bamford and Wilfried Gnonto. Victory ended a three-game winless run with Daniel Farke’s side hoping to rediscover their form at the perfect time.

A second consecutive away win would see Leeds pull four points clear of Ipswich, albeit Kieran McKenna’s side will have two games in hand by that point. The Tractor Boys can retain their place in the top two but would need to beat both Hull City and Coventry away from home.

The promotion race will likely go to the final day, with Leeds, Ipswich and Leicester City all at home to Southampton, Huddersfield Town and Blackburn Rovers respectively. The latter pair could still be fighting for survival come that point, which could throw up a couple of surprises.