Ex-Watford man makes brutal Dan James claim after Leeds United winger's Wales penalty miss

We've reached the end of the final international break of the season and for Leeds United, it's full steam ahead from hereon in. The Whites have just eight games left to play and they'll be determined to move one step closer to Premier League promotion on Friday evening when they take on Watford at Vicarage Road.

That outing will be swiftly followed by the visit of Hull City on Easter Monday to mark a long weekend that has the potential to be absolutely pivotal in the promotion race. Ahead of Friday's trip to Watford, we take a look at some of the biggest headlines out there.

Deeney makes Dan James admission

Troy Deeney expects Dan James to struggle for a starting spot at Leeds United, should his penalty miss for Wales on Tuesday night affect his confidence and form in a Whites shirt. James was the man who came up short in the penalty shootout as Wales fell at the final hurdle in their bid to qualify for Euro 2024.

The winger scored in the previous game against Finland and he has been in electric form for Leeds at club level with his effort against Millwall last time out being enough to take United to the summit of the Championship. Such an error can take a big psychological toll, though, and should that show Deeney believes Farke may have little choice but to look at other options.

"I think the boys at Leeds are on a great push and will know, especially someone like Dan James, if he’s not playing well, the quality of player in their team, he’ll fall back onto the bench," he told Talksport. "He’ll just want to get back to football as quickly as possible."

McCoist's promotion prediction

Ally McCoist is predicting Farke's Leeds United to go on and claim promotion to the Premier League from the position they find themselves in right now.

The Whites are sitting pretty at the top of the division at present and while that could change over the course of the next few days, the pundit thinks they'll have more than enough to get over the line alongside Leicester City.

"I think it's very tough to call. I think the momentum is with Leeds," he told Talksport Bet, via Football League World. "I think that they'll go up, and that would certainly excite me. They are a club that I love watching, and I love going to Elland Road.

"I know Southampton have a couple of games in hand, but they've got to win them to give themselves any real opportunity to get into the automatic places.

"If they don't, I think it will be between Leicester and Ipswich, and, if you poke me with a stick, I'd probably lean towards Leicester at this moment in time."